Operation Christmas Lloyd
by GwenBrightly
Summary: Companion piece to Of Milk and Cookies. When the ninja discover that Lloyd has never celebrated Christmas, they decide its up to them, the Super Awesome Sibling Squad to make sure he finally gets the holiday season he deserves. Follow their adventures throughout all the festivities and chaos of Christmas.
1. Chapter 1: So it Begins

**Author's Note : Hello all you wonderful members of the community! I hope you are having a fantastic holiday season so far! I am so excited to finally be publishing this companion piece to Of Milk and Cookies – Operation Christmas Lloyd, which takes somewhere in between the end of Double Trouble and Child's Play. It will follow a similar writing style, but I plan to incorporate the other ninja more than I do in Of Milk and Cookies – and hopefully a few Jaya moments as well. There is currently no set updating schedule, but I hope to publish more often than I do with my other story. Please enjoy!**

 **/\/\/**

Nya hummed along to the perky tune that was currently blaring over the speakers of Wall-to-Wall-Mart as she checked items off of her grocery list. She loved the holiday season. It was quite possibly her favorite time of year. She caught a faint whiff of peppermint from somewhere nearby and inhaled deeply. _Mmm._ Scratch that, it was _definitely_ her favorite time of year. There were simply too many wonderful things to enjoy! Nya had leapt at the chance to get away from the recently reclaimed Destiny's Bounty (where she had spent far too much time cooped up lately due to the colder weather) – and Grand Sensei Dareth's Mojo Dojo by extension - and see the large multi-purpose store's Christmas display when Wu had requested that someone go shopping for supplies. And maybe partially because of the fact that certain members of her team usually managed to come back with only half of the things they needed and twice as many things they _didn't_ need. Although Dareth's insistence that they take a portion of the winnings from the Ninjaball Run for 'necessities' had certainly been a blessing, Nya often wondered how difficult it could possibly be for her brothers to stay on task. Like, what on earth did Jay think they needed with 5 rolls of bacon scented duct tape? _Honestly_. It was no wonder that the others frequently forgot that she was younger than them when her impulse control capacity was so much greater than theirs. Speaking of which, it was probably time to start focusing on shopping again – and not her brothers (and boyfriend) and their eccentricities.

"So, Lloyd, where to next? The fruit isle, or the first aid section?" Nya inquired, wanting to get back to shopping. She didn't receive a response.

"Lloyd?" She asked again, louder. Still not getting a reaction from the small boy, Nya glanced back at him, confused. _Was this his way of telling her he was bored?_ Usually he complainedvehemently about being forced to accompany her on errands instead of getting to go beat up bad guys. Lloyd wasn't there. In fact, he didn't seem to be anywhere nearby. _Don't panic,_ she told herself. _He probably just got distracted by the candy isle, or something..._

Heading for the aforementioned section of the store, Nya found a wide assortment of brightly wrapped lollipops, chocolates, and other sugary products, but no Lloyd. She continued her search to little avail. The toy isle, electronics section, and even the book isle turned up similar results. Lloyd wasn't playing with the fake weapons, testing out the latest video game, _or_ looking at spoilers for Kai's favoritebook series so he could use the knowledge to annoy him later – one of Lloyd's favorite new tactics for driving his sibling insane. _Where_ _could he possibly be, then?_ Glancing up each and every isle with no luck, half an hour had gone by without any sign of Lloyd. Now she was starting to panic. Though several months had passed, the last time her family had managed to lose track of Lloyd was still fresh in her memory. And how much they had gone through to get him back. The whole Fire Temple fiasco had nearly ended in disaster. Surely he wouldn't pull something like that again? He _was_ 11 now. He should be able to take care of himself... Still, maybe it was better to call for reinforcements… As she pulled out her phone, about to text her brother – he seemed the most likely to offer actual help instead of teasing her (in this situation, at least; Kai was very protective of both her _and_ Lloyd) - she finally found her partner in crime. In the one place she hadn't checked yet, because it was at the opposite end of the store from where they'd been when he'd disappeared. There, completely oblivious to everything around him, stood a small boy in an emerald green winter jacket, staring at the elaborate Christmas display. Lloyd. The softly changing colors of the nearest Christmas tree seemed to mesmerize him as he swayed to the faint music.

/\/\/

Lloyd wasn't sure he'd ever seen so much color and light in one place before. He wasn't normally super impressed by flashy lights or decorations (actually, he had little experience with such things anyway), but something about this display, whatever it was for, spoke to him. Though he should have stayed with Nya, he had quickly gotten bored of following her around as she checked items off her list. She had been so focused on her task that she hadn't even noticed him leave. He'd originally planned on disappearing just long enough to grab some candy to sneak into the shopping cart when Nya wasn't looking. However, the closer he got to the display, the more it drew him in. It just was so bright and peaceful and happy, and after everything that had happened lately, he liked feeling that way. Even if it did make him feel a little dorky. This was _so_ much better than the candy isle! He'd never seen a light up tree before. And what were those stripy things that were shaped like pirate hooks? Fascinated by these discoveries, Lloyd quickly lost track of time, unaware of Nya's growing concern for his safety.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he heard her ask softly, after what seemed like an eternity. He tore his eyes away long enough to look over at her.

"Oh. Hey, Nya. What… What's all this… Sparkly stuff?" Lloyd asked the teen, a little surprised she hadn't started scolding him for ditching her. Nya looked a little confused.

"These? These are for Christmas... You _do_ know what Christmas is… right?"

"Psh… Of _course_ I know what Christmas is! What kind of loser would I be if I didn't know what Christmas was…" Replied a defensive Lloyd. He could tell from the look on her face that she didn't believe him.

"It's just… Christmas wasn't really something we _did_ at Darkley's. Everything thought it was too _nice…_ So, I kinda.. Maybe… Don't have a lot of experience with Christmassy stuff… Like, at all…" He finally admitted, a little sheepish. Nya huffed, clearly offended by the thought.

"Well, that's just stupid! We're gonna have to fix that asap." She said determinedly as she pulled him along with her towards the rest of the Christmas department...

"So you've really _never_ decorated a Christmas tree?" asked Nya a few minutes later as they wandered through the store, back to accumulating goods.

"Nope."

"Gone caroling?"

"No."

"Eaten a candy cane?"

"Nada. But it sure sounds like my kind of thing…" The samurai nodded in agreement. Anything with sugar would be met with positivity on Lloyd's part.

"Stayed up super late waiting for Santa?"

"Santa? Who's-" Lloyd was starting to get a little tired of the conversation Nya had insisted on having.

"I _cannot_ believe you don't even know who Santa is!"

"I don't know why you're so surprised. You _already_ knew my life sucked royally before Uncle Wu found me…" He said, rolling his eyes. Nya stopped in her tracks.

" _Lloyd_ , life without Christmas is like Cole without cake – or Kai without his hair gel – or… or Sensei without his tea – or-"

"Okay! I get it. You _really_ love Christmas. Like, to an unhealthy level." Interrupted Lloyd.

"Sorry… I guess I _was_ getting a little carried away… it just frustrates me that someone as deserving as you has never gotten to enjoy all the wonderful things the holiday season has to offer…"

"What's so great about Christmas, anyway?" He asked. A dreamy smile crossed her face. Her time had come.

"It's such a magical time," Nya replied, gesturing to the decorations surrounding them, and to the other shoppers, who seemed to be off in their own separate worlds, "People make an effort to be so much _kinder_ than normal. They give to each other without expecting anything in return. Then there's the music, and celebrations, and how people always come together as family, regardless of differences…But really, at least for me, it's the story behind it – a story of ultimate love and giving– that really makes it meaningful… I guess it's really something you just have to see for yourself…" She finished. Lloyd nodded thoughtfully. _He'd certainly like to experience Christmas if it was anything like what his sister had just described._ And he knew Nya would stop at nothing to make sure he got to celebrate it with his family.

"Now come on! I say you deserve a candy cane before we brave that snow!"

/\/\/

"So… You gonna tell us why you insisted we meet you in the kitchen after our favorite green bean went to bed?" Cole asked later that night as they gathered around the table. Nya had demanded that none of them retire until she'd spoken with them. She hadn't accounted for how long it would take to bring their small charge down from his sugar high brought on from eating an entire package of candy canes in one go. He'd only shared a few of them with the others, which made for a long evening.

"Yeah," Jay agreed, "It _is_ getting kinda late. Not that I'm complaining, cause I'd _never_ complain about something you did…" Nya rolled her eyes at the duo before addressing everyone.

" _Guys,_ I found out something horrible today!"

"What? Has Jay been wearing perfume again?" Kai snickered. She shot him a dirty look. This was not an appropriate time for his teasing. Her allergy was not to be taken lightly.

"There's a blizzard heading for Ninjago City?" Zane offered. Nya had to give him credit for suggesting something that would actually qualify as horrible.

"No. You know how I took Lloyd shopping with me earlier?" She asked, "Well, he wandered off and found the Christmas display – which, by the way is super awesome this year – Anyway, we got to talking, and he told me that he'd never celebrated Christmas before…" For a moment, no one responded. Then, chaos struck as everyone tried to talk at once.

"What? Is nothing sacred anymore? "

"That's absurd… Surely even Darkley's isn't that cruel!"

"You're kidding, right?"

"How is that even possible?"

"I don't know." Nya said, slamming her hands on the table in an attempt to bring back some semblance of order. "But it's up to us to do something about it."

"What did you have in mind?" Her boyfriend wondered.

"I'm glad you asked. I think it's time to call this emergency meeting of the Super Awesome Sibling Squad to order…"

"We're seriously calling ourselves SASS?" Kai wasn't particularly impressed by her chosen acronym. She glared at him.

"Do you have anything better in mind?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Kai, can we please stop arguing about pointless acronyms and get back on track. If you don't mind, I'd like to actually get some sleep sometime this century." Cole commented, effectively silencing his brother. Now it was time to begin planning in earnest. This was going to be the best Christmas ever. No matter what. And so, with a great deal of friendly debating and a healthy dose of yawns, the team got to work on the project they had dubbed "Operation Christmas Lloyd". They'd probably regret staying up so late the next morning, but hey – it would be totally worth it.

/

 **And there you have it, folks! As always, I hope you enjoyed reading the beginning of my Christmas companion to Of Milk and Cookies! Please feel free to leave reviews if you have feedback or ideas (I can't guarantee that they'll be used, but I'll sure try!)! Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read.**

 **-GwenBrightly**


	2. Chapter 2: Snowflakes and Trees

**Author's Note: Oi, this chapter took way longer to finish then I'd wanted. That's what I get for starting something right before college finals. Oh, well. Here it is now. I hope all of my loyal readers – thanks so much for your ongoing support – enjoy reading this most recent installment in Operation Christmas Lloyd.**

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Lloydskywalkers: Check your inbox. I pmed you a length response to both reviews you've left me recently.**

 **Wolfjem: Aw... Thanks! So glad you found Lloyd adorable. He really is a little cinnamon roll most of the time. And you love Of Milk and Cookies, too? Yay! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.**

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"And then, you just unfold it, and voila! Your very own paper snowflake!" Nya explained as she held up the completed example. Her adoptive brother stared at his own creation in fascination.

"Woah. Where'd you learn how to do that?" He asked excitedly. The samurai shrugged.

"Hm... Good question. I think our old neighbor back in Ignacia taught me when I was about your age, Lloyd. Pretty cool, huh?"

" _Definitely,"_ Lloyd replied, "How many of these do you think we can get away with making before Zane lectures us about killing trees?" They looked at each other for a moment, giggling.

"Oh, probably at least a couple dozen... But he'll have to catch us first. Let's see how much of the Bounty we can cover with snowflakes before someone tries to stop us." Nya proposed, reaching for another sheet of paper. She'd probably regret this suggestion later, when someone complained that they were completely out of paper to use for grocery lists or writing passive aggressive notes to each other – an increasingly common occurrence these days – or anything else paper related, but for now, it was way more fun to see the small boy's face light up while they continued their folding and cutting. Little bits of paper flew everywhere - on the floor, on Lloyd's head ( _Okay, she might've sprinkled some there on purpose)_ \- they'd have to vacuum later. The introduction of glitter glue (Nya couldn't resist) made the kitchen table even messier. Soon, they had accumulated an impressive pile of sparkly snowflakes. Intent on making room for more, Nya began hanging them from the rafters with random bits of string she had found lying around. This was a slight challenge for her at first, considering that she was not the tallest person in the world, but her experience as Samurai X prevented her from having any qualms about climbing on top of various pieces of furniture in order to reach the ceiling. Thus, when Jay entered the room to find his girlfriend standing on the counter, asking,

"How's our stash looking, Lloyd? Do I need to start helping cut some more?", he was far more concerned than she was.

"Nya? What one earth are you doing up there?" Jay couldn't help but wonder. Nya turned around carefully and stared down at him.

"Hanging snowflakes. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Okaaay." He decided not to question it further. If _that's really what Nya wanted to do with her spare time, who was he to interfere?_

"Mind if I join you?"

"Sure, why not. But why are you back so early? I thought you were checking out that Serpentine sighting near the mall." Commented Nya as she accepted another stack of snowflakes from Lloyd.

"It was a false alarm. Turns out somebody thought today would be a good time to try out the cosplay outfit they'd gotten as an early present." Jay seated himself next to Lloyd and began fiddling with some paper, "So, yeah, it looks like we get to head out a little earlier than expected." He explained. The group planned on visiting Ed and Edna to look for extra Christmas decorations to put up around the Bounty later that day – when the older couple had found out that the group lacked Christmas decorations, they had immediately invited them to take whatever they needed from the junkyard. However, most of their teammates had been (unwillingly) called away for a mission before they could do so. Nya smiled. She always enjoyed getting to see the hyperactive ninja's parents. And the group had spent so little time just hanging out together lately that she was quite excited for the short trip. A few more snowflakes found their way onto the rafters.

"You know, it would be really nice if a certain group of _someones_ would just take an extended hiatus from trying to take over the world. I'd love to have a _peaceful_ Christmas."

"I know what you mean. Everything's been so crazy lately. It would be nice to just slow down for awhile." Agreed Jay, still cutting away at his paper. Lloyd smirked at him.

"I never thought I'd hear _you_ say that, Jay." He shrugged.

"It's true. Even I need a break sometimes... What do you think?" Jay showed him his handiwork.

"Awe… C'mon that's not even fair!" The small boy exclaimed when he saw the very detailed snowflake complete with a design that featured leaping reindeer and Christmas trees.

"You know what, I'm not even gonna ask _how_ you did that." Having finished hanging the most recent batch of snowflakes, Nya was now staring wide eyed at the object in Jay's hand.

"In all honesty, I have no explanation for this… It just sorta… Happened? Really. I wasn't trying to do _this_."

"Not sure what I just walked into – I'm probably better off _not_ knowing – But, I'm supposed to let you know that we'll be ready to leave in about 15 minutes." Kai said from the doorway, looking mildly confused. Jay set his snowflake in the pile with the rest and moved to help Nya down from her lofty perch. She accepted his outstretched hand and hopped gracefully off of the counter – landing, perhaps, a bit closer to him than she'd intended. They looked at each other for a second, blushing, before stepping apart, very aware of the resident fire ninja's presence. Her brother cleared his throat awkwardly. She tore her eyes away from Jay reluctantly before finally replying.

"Uh… Sounds like a plan."

/\/\/\/

Kai was relieved when the vehicle Nya had procured for them pulled into the junkyard. As much as he loved his siblings – really, he did - he would have preferred they do something _other_ than teach Lloyd every Christmas song they could come up with. Was it endearing the first few times? Yes, absolutely – it might've even qualified as adorable – but it had gotten annoying _very_ quickly. Though, Kai had to admit that the boy's knowledge of such things left a lot to be desired. It hadn't taken long for them to discover that his holiday repertoire was strictly limited to, "Skiing through the snow, on a pair of stolen skis. Over the hills we go, crashing into trees." Which prompted a mortified Nya to hastily inform him that, while entertaining (?), his song choice didn't _really_ fit with the spirit of the season. And so, Kai had been subjected to the mixed vocal talents of his family for the majority of the drive.

Ed and Edna were already waiting to greet them when the group exited the car. Immediately, Jay found himself being smothered with hugs and kisses.

"Oh, Jay! We're so happy to see you! Have you been eating breakfast? It's the most important meal of the day! Do you need any spare pairs of underwear?" His mother asked anxiously.

"Can't breath, Ma…" He wheezed. She released her tight grip, holding him at arms length and examining him carefully. _Had he grown a bit? She swore her sweet little boy seemed taller_ …

"Oh! It's just _so_ nice to see you!"

"The rest of your little group, too!" Ed added.

"And it's wonderful to see you, as well." Commented Nya as she gently pried her boyfriend from his mother's grasp, "I… Really love all the extra lights you've put up. It's very... _festive…"_ Jay sent her a silent _thank you_ while his parents beamed enthusiastically.

"Thanks, sweetie. You can _never_ have too many decorations. Hm… Maybe we should make a note of that for next year… I bet we could get a few more strings of lights up without the generator going kerflooey." The old man told his wife. She quickly wrote it down for him. Having recovered sufficiently from lack of oxygen, Jay commented,

"I'm sure that will be _great_ and all, but we _do_ kinda have a lot to do while we're here, so, if you don't mind…." Edna looked like she was about to ask her son a few more embarrassing questions, but restrained herself, instead saying,

"Of course, of course. You kids have fun. There'll be hot coco and cookies waiting in the trailer whenever you're ready. Come along dear, I'm sure we have plenty of things to keep us busy _inside_ …" The ninja of lightning watched his parents go, relieved to have escaped from their embarrassing displays of affection – if only temporarily.

"First thing's first," he said, turning to his brothers (and Nya), "We' got to find ourselves some decorations and a decent tree." Nya _had_ attempted to convince the others that the nostalgia of a live tree would make the holidays even more magnificent than usual, but the idea had ultimately been shot down. Zane had cited the endless mess of fallen needles, and then there was the issue of the various small critters that happened to live in trees, and the fact that none of themactually knew much about properly selecting (or chopping down) trees –although Cole did mention that he'd always wanted to try lumberjackery. So, in the end, it had been decided that it would be best to stick with a plastic tree. _Oh well, there was always next year._

"And you're absolutely certain we'll actually be able to find one here?" Questioned Kai. Jay rolled his eyes at him.

"Like I already told you, this place is a wellspring of treasures. I found all sorts of crazy stuff growing up here. Like that time I found an authentically autographed Cliff Gordon poster – that was pretty sweet. Or the time I found the entire original first season of Star-Crossed Lovers on VHS – still not sure _why_ someone would get rid of so much amazing content – Or -"

"Okay, Jay. We get it. You have obnoxiously good luck and we should all start searching before you talk our ears off." Cole jested, wandering towards the nearest pile of junk.

"Although hearing tales of your exploits is indeed fascinating," Zane commented politely, "Your brother has a point. We'd best not waste what little daylight we have left. I will begin my search in the eastern corner of the junkyard if anyone wishes to join me."

"Cool beans. Just holler if you need help unearthing anything..." Jay replied before happily bounding off to search his favorite nooks and crannies. Being adept at climbing over the unstable piles of 'treasure'(junk), the teen quickly accumulated an assortment of Christmas decorations that were in surprisingly good condition. His finds included 4 brand new silk poinsettias, 3 strings of lights, 2 strands of garland, and one Christmas tree topper. _Huh. That was almost like that one song… the Twelve Days of Christmas? Yeah, Jay was a genius. Coming here was a great idea – just look at all the stuff they'd already found! The others should really listen to him more often._

"Hey, guys – think I found something, but can't tell for sure... It's, uh, buried under a lot of junk… I could use some help getting it out without killing myself…" Surprisingly, it was Lloyd that discovered their Christmas tree. His affinity for the color green must have played some role, for it was covered by so much random stuff (objects that even Jay would likely consider worthless) that it was a miracle that the small boy had even spotted it. A good half an hour passed before the combined efforts of the entire group liberated their prize from beneath the debris. In the excitement of finding their main objective, they had all failed to notice one key detail.

" _Oh_ … it's _crooked_ …" Lloyd stated dejectedly. The tree was, in fact, quite crooked. It looked like something out of a movie some of them had once seen about a hairy monster who hated Christmas. The main support frame clearly had some major issues. Nya and Jay looked at each other, coming to a mutual decision. They _would_ find a way to make the tree their little brother had found usable. He _deserved_ it.

"Don't worry, Lloyd. It's nothing Jay and I can't fix with a few tools and a little holiday magic…" The samurai assured him. Jay nodded encouragingly. Together, they hauled their project off, promising Lloyd that they'd come get him as soon as it was ready.

Although the small boy definitely _did not_ want to miss out on the location of more treasures, he was also rather invested in making sure the Christmas tree he'd discovered all by himself (thank you very much) was salvaged. Every so often, he'd slip away from Kai's watchful eye – someone had better make sure the kid didn't get impaled by overhanging wires or _something_ if Nya was going to be busy – and demand a status update. The pair of mechanics patiently put up with his endless questions until Kai lured him away with the promise of hot chocolate. Finally finishing their project, the duo appeared in the living room of the oversized trailer, where they found Lloyd sipping a mug topped with an unhealthy amount of whipped cream.

"Prepare yourselves for a massive sugar rush. We tried to stop him but…" Cole shrugged. It was notoriously difficult to keep Lloyd away from sugar.

"Did you fix it? Can I _see_?" The future Green Ninja asked, sloshing his drink as he leapt up from the couch.

"Hold on just one second... Don't you think _we_ deserve some coco for all our hard work?" Jay cautioned him. He groaned.

"Here you are, dears." Edna handed them each a steaming mug, which they accepted gratefully. Lloyd stood by the door impatiently. _Were they purposefully taking forever?_ It seamed like an eternity before the samurai and the ninja of lightning set their cups down on the coffee table and motioned for the others to follow them. Outside, stood a much straighter than before, and in Lloyd's opinion, totally majestic, 7 foot tall Christmas tree. They'd reinforced the support frame, also taking care to fluff out all the branches, and even add a little bit of glitter (neither could deny the urge to make things extra festive). It was hard to believe that this was the same tree they had pulled out of a pile of junk just a few hours ago. But, there was still one surprise in store for Lloyd. Jay handed him a cord.

"Uh… what's this for?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Plug it into the generator for us and find out. We figured you'd want to do the honors." Nya told him. So, he did as he was told. And then, he nearly squealed with joy. Somehow, his siblings had managed to make it light up in every color imaginable. _This was SO much better than the ones at the store. Those only had one or two colors of lights – not dozens... Also, he'd gotten to rescue this one from being homeless – kinda like him and his brothers and Nya and Uncle Wu -which made it way more cool and special than any brand new tree could ever hope to be._

"It's perfect!" He said quietly. His older siblings smiled. Phase 1 of Operation Christmas Lloyd had been a success.

/\/\/\/\/

 **And thus ends the second part of Operation Christmas Lloyd. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Feedback and suggestions are always welcome! Thank you for reading!**

 **~GwenBrightly**


	3. Chapter 3: Mistletoe

**Author's note: Hello, all! Well, this chapter certainly took longer to finish than I'd expected. Stupid finals… I had a strong desire to use mistletoe at some point in this story, but I had to do a fair amount of adjustment to make sure this flowed decently with everything else I've published thus far. Towards the end of my most recent chapter of Of Milk and Cookies ("Awkward") I visited the possibility of some lingering weirdness as a result of Jay's doppelganger kissing Nya. I really hope I did that idea justice in "Mistletoe". Be forewarned. It's a little different from the other chapters, as it focuses more on Nya and Jay's relationship. Please enjoy!**

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **RebelutionaryWrites:** _ **Aw… thanks! I have to admit, I absolutely love writing baby Lloyd and big sister Nya, so it's super awesome to hear that you think I've captured them well! Thank you so much for reviewing!**_

 _ **A Huge Fangirl: Thank you so much for your kind words! I know this took a little while to get published, but now that my college classes are over for awhile, I should have more time to write. Have a lovely holiday season!**_

 _ **RandomDragon2.0: So lovely to hear that you are loving this! This time of year is so crazy, everyone needs a little bit of cheery fluff! I hope you enjoy "Mistletoe"!**_

 _ **JBomb217: Oh my goodness! You're so sweet. Decorating is definitely something I'm looking forward to getting to do someday when I have a classroom of my own (I'm going to be a teacher). I'm sure your room looks amazing. Although he's made of technology himself, I sort of imagine Zane as being really up to date on environmental issues. I've always pictured Lloyd as having green eyes, but the latest seasons have depicted his eyes as changing color when he temporarily looses his power, so maybe they get to be less of a pure green and more of a hazel when that happens? Not quite sure. Thanks a bunch for taking to time to leave so much Feedback!**_

 _ **Spider-Man Super-Fan: it makes me so happy to hear that you have been enjoying my work so far! That's a wonderful compliment to receive as a writer. Lloyd sure eats a lot of candy, so that's a lot to live up to. This one's got a bit less Lloyd – So I hope you like it!**_

 _ **Lloydskywalkers: Check your pms, as per usual :).**_

/\/\/\/\/\

Cole stuffed a frond of mistletoe into the garland that lined the upper edges of the kitchen cupboards, just as he had been doing for the past few hours. If the looks Zane had been shooting him every once in awhile were anything to go off of, the nindroid was starting to believe that his friend's sanity had finally cracked. This wasn't entirely true, though certain members of his family _were_ definitely driving him crazy. Ever since the incident Lloyd had dubbed "Double Trouble", which involved evil ninja clones wreaking havoc on their lives, Nya and Jay had been acting even more awkward around each other than usual. Which was really saying something, cause _man_ , were those two awkward. Their behavior was so inconsistent that it was a wonder they'd managed to survive human interaction for so long. _Something to do with a kiss_? Cole wasn't completely clear on all the details, but he was determined to fix whatever the issue was. Which was why he had dedicated time he could've been spending pestering Zane to bake more cakes – _a shame, really -_ strategically planting mistletoe in every nook and cranny he could reach. Maybe if something forced them to get things over with and kiss each other, Nya and Jay would get their act together and things could go back to normal. Whatever that meant for people with admittedly complicated lives. The definition of _normal_ was still up for debate, but anything was better than the cringy soap opera he was currently watching from the sidelines. Cole's backup plan involved locking them in the broom closet til they came to their senses – an idea that, while potentially effective, was likely to end with multiple parties being angry with him. Kai for placing his sister in a 'dangerous' situation, and both Jay and Nya for meddling in their affairs. So, his plan A had really better work, because he'd rather not get on Kai's bad side so close to Christmas.

"What'cha doin, Cole? I though we were done decorating for Christmas…" Asked a small voice from behind him.

"Oh. Uh. Just… Doing some extra touch ups. To make sure things look extra good. Yeah. Cause, you never can be too careful. With decorations, I mean."

"If you say so…"Lloyd said, still a bit unsure about the whole decorating thing. _Did decorations really require this much upkeep? "_ Need any help? I'm _bored._ " Cole shrugged. The more individuals involved with this project, the less blame could be pinned on him.

"Eh. Might as well make yourself useful, small fry. Just take these bits of greenery and add them to any spot that looks bare." He said, handing the boy a clump of mistletoe. Though he couldn't reach particularly high, Lloyd still proved to be quite an asset to the ninja of earth. The lower cupboards, counter, and even the shelves of the fridge (he'd decided to go all out) were freshly decorated with greenery. Cole wasn't completely sure what circumstances would make such low hanging mistletoe effective, but he wasn't taking any chances. Together, the two boys lugged the last of their supplies to the game room (the only room Cole had yet to touch) , where they found Zane engrossed in a rather thick looking book. _Great._ Now they'd have to endure more concerned looks… At least they hadn't run into Jay and Nya so far. That would ruin all their hard work.

" _Those two idiots had better appreciate the lengths I go to for them…"_ Cole muttered as he installed some mistletoe directly above the door.

"You mean Nya an' Jay? Do they like, _really_ like whatever this green stuff is?" Lloyd asked. _He'd heard that? Darn…_ Before Cole could formulate a response, Zane did so for him.

"Actually, that _green stuff_ , as you call it, is commonly referred to as mistletoe. During the holiday season, it is tradition to kiss whomever you happen to find yourself standing beneath it with you. I believe our brother may have something up his sleeve for a certain couple currently residing on this ship." The small boy looked perturbed.

"You're trying to get them to kiss?! _Gross!_ "

"Uh… Yes?" Now that he thought about it, maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to let Lloyd help him. No doubt the kid wouldn't be so willing to support his plot now that he knew exactly what was going on.

"But why would you want to do _that_?" Lloyd demanded. Cole almost wished Zane would explain this for him as well. The nindroid gave him an exasperated look. He was probably debating whether or not hiring a full time therapist would be worth the cost.

"Because, Lloyd, I'm getting tired of the way they've been acting ever since those evil doppelgangers your father made attacked. Half the time, you can't get them to stop talking, but then, they just clam up stare at each other with this crazy _I love you but I don't know how to say it_ look. They're being completely ridiculous, and I'd like my best friend to stop shorting out whenever Nya's around." Cole defended, before being struck by a compelling realization, "Say… Nya tells you pretty much everything. Do _you_ know what's going on between them?" Lloyd bit his lip, debating whether or not to withhold the information he possessed.

"Um…" _Would telling count as naughty?_ Once Nya had explained the concept of Santa to the future Green Ninja, Lloyd had worked hard to stay out of trouble. There were some things he _really_ wanted for Christmas, and he wouldn't get them if Santa deemed him too much trouble. He'd already had way too many people do that to him. But, a magical ( _totally not stalkerish at all)_ toy delivering force of good seemed promising to him. There's no way a guy like that could get so famous if he wasn't legit. Even if his exact methods seemed questionable _._ And if Nya, who was a complete Christmas expert in the nerdiest of ways,considered him to be safe, than Lloyd would follow her lead. _So, really, what was he supposed to do now? If he told Cole and Zane, his big sister might get mad, but if he didn't, would she and Jay ever go back to normal? Both could easily end badly._

"Jay's clone kissed her at the auto body shop a few weeks ago and now she feels awkward cause she thinks Jay's feelings are hurt – which, surprisingly, isn't true. For once. And Jay doesn't want to bring it up because he's worried she'll freak out, so now they keep getting all wishy washy – at the weirdest times, too– I'm honestly not sure how they made it through the trip to the junkyard the other day without losing the ability to hold an intelligible conversation - because _apparently,_ I'm the only person around here who has any social skills." Kai said as he indelicately shoved aside the frond of mistletoe so he could enter the room without any embarrassing encounters. Cole attempted to hide the remainder of the stash behind his back. Zane shook his head in resignation. _Clearly his book was going to have to wait._

"Uh… Hey, Kai. Nice of you to drop in. We _totally_ aren't doing anything that would catch your interest…at all… so… You can just move along, now… "

"Nice try, dirt clod. I've been onto you since this morning." _Drat. He knew he should have been more subtle…_

" _Oh._ Is this the part where you make me stop what I'm doing and take it all down?" Cole had pretty much given up all intentions of remaining anonymous at this point.

"Nah," The ninja of fire punched Cole's arm lightly, "On the off chance that this might actually _work,_ I'll let you off without a fight. But if this _doesn't_ end well? There'll be some serious consequences for interfering with my sister. You read me?"

"Loud and clear. But I'm confident that everything will work out _just fine…_ "

The sound of more voices coming their way (regrettably) prevented Kai from dealing out the specifics of his threat.

"So… Shouldn't we like… Hide or something?" Suggested Lloyd. _Nya probably wouldn't be very happy if she knew she was being watched…_

"Yeah. Probably. The couch seems like our best bet. Anybody got their phones on them? If this goes the way I plan, I want it to be recorded so my moment of brilliance can go down in history." Cole catapulted himself behind the piece of furniture, followed by Lloyd and Kai. He quickly snatched his brother's phone, claiming that _he'd thank him later_. Realizing that he had little choice but to go along with this chaotic plan, Zane sighed before ultimately marking his spot with a bookmark – it wouldn't do to ruin the corners – and joining them.

/\/\/\/\/\/

Nya wasn't oblivious to the subterfuge that was currently occurring aboard the Destiny's Bounty. The sheer amount of mistletoe that had sprung up out of nowhere was too obvious to miss. It literally coated entire segments of the wall in some places. And she'd _just_ found some tied around the kitchen sink. For some unknown reason – it wasn't like it would actually be of any use there. Unless Lloyd's father shrunk them, or something. Which seemed incredibly unlikely. All things considered, what with her relationship with Jay and all, Nya was fairly certain that someone was trying to send her a message. She just wasn't completely sure who the culprit was. Though she was confident that she could rule out Zane – the ninja of ice had little reason to engage in such behavior – pretty much everyone else was fair game. Even her brother. Sighing, Nya wandered the hall. _Maybe it was time to revisit the kissing situation._ Jay _had_ assured her that the whole thing was no big deal. And they _had_ made a lot of progress towards reaching normalcy again - much of the recent visit to his parents' had been spent quite comfortably together, rescuing their new Christmas tree from its sad condition (Lloyd's reaction to their hard work had been priceless). However, something was still _off_ between them. It wasn't that she _didn't_ want him to kiss her,but the only other time the two had full on kissed was during their first date – a spur of the moment thing that had just sort of… happened. This was different. _How exactly did one go about discussing kissing habits with their boyfriend?_ A thud _!_ Followed by an,

"Ow!" alerted Nya to the fact that she had somehow managed to run right into the very person she'd been thinking about, knocking both of them to the floor in a jumbled heap.

"I'm so sorry, Jay… Guess I need to pay more attention to where I'm going…" She apologized, attempting to disentangle herself from his limbs.

"It's okay. You can run into me _any time…"_ Jay blushed, "Did I say that out loud…? Oh, gosh. This is awkward…"

"I know you didn't mean for it to come out like _that_ …" They sat next to each other in silence, unsure exactly where to go with their conversation. _Why couldn't they go back to the way they'd been able to converse before, when the words had come more easily? Even decorating the kitchen together had been better than this._ Granted, they hadn't been _alone_ then. Somehow, Lloyd's presence had helped keep them grounded.

"… Are you alright? I mean, we _did_ hit each other pretty hard…" He tentatively brushed a fallen strand of hair out of her face, causing her to return the blush.

"I… I'm fine. I think. You?"

"Yeah. More surprised than anything else. You sure can pack a punch... Heheh." Nya crossed her arms.

"Gee… Thanks."

"No! Your strength is a _good_ thing." He clarified. _And one of the many things he liked about her._ "Especially with the amount of crazy we experience on a daily basis."

"You're not wrong," She said as Jay pulled her to her feet, "I've been enjoying how chill things have been lately. Having time to work on Lloyd's tree with you was a nice change of pace…"

"It was. Were you headed to a specific part of our illustrious abode, oh great samurai?" He asked, gesturing about him grandly. Nya raised an eyebrow at his antics, but stifled a small giggle.

"Actually, ninja of lightning, there's supposed to be a holiday special of Star-Crossed Lovers airing in not too long. I was _hoping_ to catch it - if the others aren't so engrossed in their video games that the tv room is off limits."

"Ah. And would it be permissible for me to join you?" The request held the same overly elegant tone.

"But of course." They shared a smile, stepping towards their not so distant destination. Nya's relief that the awkwardness of the moment had dissipated lasted only temporarily. For, there, hanging in the center of the doorway, was a very large and very intentionally placed strand of mistletoe. _They were going to have to play along with whoever had planned this, weren't they?_ Not that that was a bad thing. It would save them a lot of trouble to just go with it.

"… I know things have been… _wonky_ lately, and I'd really like for that to stop… But I _also_ want to do this right…" Jay said, taking a breath and turning to face his girlfriend, "So, Nya, I guess what I'm trying to say is – can I kiss you? I-it's totally okay for you to say no. I won't be offended…" He was clearly a bit nervous about seeing her response.

"I… That would be… _Yes…"_ Nya whispered after a moment's hesitation. Staring at the person she'd come to adore so much, the person who had _always_ had her back, she knew she couldn't resist. So, she gently placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward. As their lips met, Nya could feel the last of the tension that had existed for too long finally melt away. She was _home_ and everything was going to be fine. Even the faint sound of gaging she swore she could hear couldn't ruin this moment.

"A-are we good?" A quiet voice asked, its owners forehead leaned against her own.

"We're _more_ than good." Nya replied, smiling. She felt a pair of arms snake around her as Jay pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Glad to hear it. Let's maybe not wait so long next time?"

"Yeeah. Probably wise." Unfortunately, they were interrupted by the chatter of various family members who couldn't force themselves to be quiet any longer.

"See? I told you this would work!"

"Seriously, Cole? It's like you _want_ them to know we're here…"

"All of you?" Nya eyed the group of people currently peeking around the couch from various angles, "All of you were in on this?" _Just how much mistletoe had they used? And where had they even gotten it?_ She found herself wondering.

"Pretty much. I mean, Cole and Lloyd were already planning this. I just… didn't stop them?" Kai answered, looking more than a little sheepish. Though whether it for allowing his family to meddle, or for getting caught, his sister couldn't tell.

"Uhuh. That's really not much better, you know… _And_ , don't think I haven't noticed the phone. You totally recorded the whole thing, didn't you? "

"We were just trying to help you guys - " defended Cole. His best friend just sort of laughed.

"We kinda figured… I don't know whether to thank you, or put snow in your bed when you're not looking."

"You _wouldn't_ …"

"I would, actually."

"I vote we do neither and just enjoy the moment… I know of a lot more places with mistletoe around here." Nya intervened, kissing her boyfriend again. Kai and Lloyd both groaned, obviously regretting their recent life choices.

"I'd love to. But first – whatever happened to that Star-Crossed Lovers special we came in here to watch? If you still want to watch it? " Jay asked. She scrambled to find the TV remote. _She wasn't missing out on this. There'd be plenty of time to take advantage of the new decorations later. She'd make sure no one had a chance to take them without her knowledge. For now, it would be enough to simply spend time together without losing it._ Several of the others looked like they wanted to protest, but Zane shut them down.

"Let them have this… they deserve it after what just occurred."

"Fine, but we at least get popcorn. I nominate _you_ to go get some." The nindroid rolled his eyes, but complied with Lloyd's request. There was no way he was letting someone burn down their kitchen when they hadn't even started on the Christmas baking yet. Certainly, there were many more adventures to come this holiday season.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

 **And that's a wrap! I know "Mistletoe" was a bit different from what I've written in the past, but I do hope you enjoyed it, regardless. As always, feedback and comments are greatly appreciated. Wishing you all the most magical of holiday seasons!**

 **-GwenBrightly**


	4. Chapter 4: Cookies and Letters

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! Is this the fastest I've ever updated? I think it is… Still, though, I may end up publishing more after Christmas is technically over, because I still have a lot of ideas and not as much time as I'd like to get it all typed up. "Cookies and Letters" takes place not long after "Mistletoe", also attempting to cover Kai's inexplicable fear of Christmas related things. So, hopefully it works out. Also, if anyone wants to play 'Spot the season 7 nods', feel free. There's several. I hope you all enjoy the latest installment in "Operation Christmas Lloyd"!**

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Spider-Man Super-Fan:** _ **I just couldn't figure out a way to add more Lloyd to "Mistletoe". Glad to hear you still enjoyed reading it! I tried to give him more attention in this chapter to help balance things out. Hope you like it! Thank you so much for taking the time to review! I really appreciate it.**_

 **Jbomb217:** _ **You knew? Heh. I guess mistletoe is a pretty major thing for couples, huh… With the amount of time Zane has to deal with everyone else's insanity on top of his own emotions, I totally think he'd contemplate hiring them a therapist. I mean, Lloyd already has trauma from school, and then all their adventures probably don't help anyone stay stable. Aw… thanks! I love kids (as might be obvious from the way I've been focusing on tiny Lloyd). I really appreciate your feedback! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

 _ **Lloydskywalkers: You know the drill, but thanks for the super long review.**_

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"I know that this might come as a shock to some of you, but raw cookie dough _can_ make you sick, so, maybe have a little self restraint here?" Commented Nya as she placed a large ball of gingerbread on the powdered sugar covered table.

"Christmas, Nya. _Christmas_." Ignoring her, Cole snagged a small chunk of dough and tossed it into his mouth, "Mmm… This is almost as good as cake! You guys really outdid yourselves this time." As some of the most competent (and patient) chefs in residence, Nya and Zane had spent the afternoon teaching Lloyd how to make gingerbread. Now, they were ready to begin creating shapes with the wide assortment of cookie cutters Ed and Edna had insisted they needed to bring home with them. It had taken awhile to find Kai, who had been avoiding the kitchen like the plague, but they had eventually assembled everyone. This was something they wanted to do as a family. Most of them, anyway.

"Do I really _have_ to be here?" Kai asked. Lloyd rolled his eyes.

"Oh, c'mon Kai. I know making cookies might seem super lame, it it's actually really fun. And Nya says we can even decorate them - after they've finished baking!"

"That's exactly what I was afraid of…"

"What gives? You used to _love_ doing this with me…" Inquired Nya, a little confused. She had lots of fond memories of spending time baking with her brother during the holiday season. They'd always had so much fun together, even though they often didn't have anyone else to share it with. _He'd never been this hesitant to participate before…_

"I'd… Rather not talk about it, okay?" He mumbled sullenly. Although it had been quite some time since his encounter with the Venomari, the incident had dredged up some memories he'd have preferred stayed lodged firmly in some long forgotten corner of his brain. And he just wasn't sure if he could handle seeing gingerbread men right now. _Their creepy eyes? The fact that they were inexplicably always smiling – why had he never seen one with an alternate facial expression?_ Kai shuddered. He _knew_ they were just food, that they weren't _actually_ alive, but that didn't stop him from being creeped out. He wanted to burn every last one until all that remained was ashes. Okay, maybe that was a _little_ harsh, but he didn't care. _Those freakish cookies had it coming._ The rest of the group glanced at each other, wondering if it was worth pushing for answers. This _was_ supposed to be family time, after all.

"You know you can tell us anything, right Kai? We're a family, we won't judge you," Jay said. Receiving a skeptical look from Zane, he added, " _Much…."_

"Wow, Jay! That's _s_ o comforting." Came the fire ninja's sarcastic reply.

"If you really feel _that_ strongly about it, you don't _have_ to stay… I just thought it would be fun to-" His sister started, looking slightly disappointed.

" _Fine._ It's just…. Remember the whole thing with my hallucinations after the Venomari got to me?" a chorus of nodding heads told him they did, "Well… Let's just say that I'm not really the biggest fan of gingerbread right now…. Or elves, come to think of it…" _Yeah, elves were pretty darn creepy, too. No one should have that rosy of cheeks. And the nonstop cheerfulness and singing? They were definitely too happy – anyone with that level of happiness was probably plotting to kill someone in their sleep – with the exception of Jay, of course. The ninja of lightning was about as conniving as a butterfly most of the time._ Suddenly, Kai's behavior didn't seem quite so obnoxious.

"That actually makes a lot of sense. You're attempting to avoid reminders of that unfortunate event. A completely justified response. " Zane commented in an attempt to validate his brother's attitude. The gesture was appreciated, though Kai knew he'd have to give a more detailed explanation if they didn't find a new topic of discussion soon. "Though, we could call into question why you would hallucinate such things to begin with…" _And there it was. The question he'd known was coming…_

"That _is_ a good point, Zane. It doesn't make sense for you to just randomly see elves and cookies if you didn't already have something against them." Agreed Jay. It looked like the fire ninja was going to have to share the rest of the story. He sighed and sank into one of the chairs arranged around the table.

"My… _dislike_ of them actually started a long time ago. I had mostly forgotten about it until we visited the toxic bogs. But apparently I haven't moved on from it quite as much as I would like… When we were kids, we hung out a lot at our neighbor's house since our parents… weren't around… and she didn't really have any family nearby. It was a win-win situation. We got adult supervision, and she didn't have to be alone all the time. Miss Mai taught me how to cook without burning down the kitchen, how to keep our garden alive – she even helped me potty train Nya…" The aforementioned teen cringed. _Was this really a necessary detail to include?_ Jay nudged her, smiling sympathetically. He'd been the victim of embarrassing stories many times, thanks to his loving, if overly enthusiastic parents.

"She sounds nice." Lloyd commented.

"She is. And she's definitely _way_ cooler than the babysitter the mayor tried to drop on us."

"Mrs. Grumbmiller was the literal _worst."_ Nya nodded.

"But, anyway, back to my story, this one time our very first Christmas after… You know… we decided to watch a Christmas movie right before bed. Except, the only one she could find for us was this super low budget claymation film that had something to do with human sized gingerbread men and elves trying to save the world. Nya was probably too young to remember, but the crappy animation gave me nightmares for _weeks…_ which I guess is why they _still_ give me the heebie jeebies. I know it's stupid, but…" Kai trailed off, somewhat mortified by how much the dumb children's movie had affected him all those years ago. His sister gently placed a hand in his shoulder.

"I wish you would have _told_ me… I feel kinda guilty that I've been making you baking gingerbread men with me for all these years…" There was a surprising lack of judgement coming from his teammates. _What a relief. And it did feel good to get it all off his chest after so long._

"It's okay, sis. I _did_ enjoy spending time with you, just maybe not so much the end product sometimes."

"You shouldn't feel bad about it, anyway. Everyone has some sort of traumatizing memory from their childhood." Jay told him brightly. Knowing his parents storytelling abilities, he probably had a point. And more than a few such examples of his own.

"And there's plenty of cookie cutters that _aren't_ gingerbread man shaped. You can just use those - as long as you don't mind if I make a _few… please_ say you'll stay…" Lloyd begged, pulling on Kai's arm. The pleading look he gave him was pitiful, but effective.

"Alright. I'll hang around and help you guys get all of this dough rolled out. But if I end up having nightmares, I'll make sure I scream loud enough to wake _all_ of you up…" the teen relented, resulting in a cheer from both Nya and Lloyd and a soft smile from Zane. Cole and Jay looked pleased with his decision as well. The original chunk of dough was slowly broken off into individual pieces, before being rolled out. As the process of cutting out different shapes began, Kai was very careful to avoid any cookie cutters that even remotely resembled humanoid figures, instead selecting those shaped like snowflakes and reindeer (surprisingly, the creatures held no negative connotation for him). Settling into the complacency of spending time with his siblings in a relatively nonviolent setting – he was choosing to ignore Cole hitting Jay over the head with a rolling pin – he soon recovered from discussing his (at least in his opinion) irrational fears. _The one downside to allowing himself to get so invested in this pursuit_ , Kai thought, _was the huge mess they were making._ Powdered sugar and bits of dough were starting to end up in places other than the table or the various pans that had been set out to receive cookies.

"Hey, Nya?" The samurai glanced at her boyfriend, still holding her latest cookie cutter, "You got' a little something riiiight about…" He booped her nose, leaving a smear of sugar on her face, "Here." She paused for a moment as if weighing her options. Then, she grabbed a small clump of cookie dough and smashed into his hair.

"There. Now we're even." Nya smirked. Her victim stared at her, mouth open. _He hadn't been expecting that._

"Sorry, motormouth, but you walked right into that one." Cole called from across the table, earning himself a cloud of powdered sugar to the face for his trouble.

"This is for that little stunt you pulled with the mistletoe!" Thus marked the end of any semblance of order that might have existed. Chaos exploded. Bits of dough and sugar, followed by a wide array of insults, flew everywhere. Knowing it was all well meant, uproarious laughter soon filled the air. Zane shielded himself with a baking tray, muttering something about how _some people have no self restraint_ , but still managed to contribute heavily to the ongoing battle. The sound of someone clearing their throat brought an end to the fun all too soon.

"It appears you have been having a great deal of fun _baking._ I assume you plan on cleaning this mess up eventually?" Sensei Wu, who had been attracted by their loudness, inquired. The group burst into a fit of giggles. It took a few minutes for anyone to compose themselves enough to answer.

"Of course, Sensei. We were just finishing up…" Zane said. The old man nodded appreciatively, then stepped over a mound of dough that had somehow ended up on the floor, returning to the hallway.

"He's probably right. We made an awfully big mess…" Nya commented, kissing Jay's cheek.

"We may as well get started. The sooner we clean this up, the sooner we can get these cookies into the oven. We're lucky we made so much extra dough, or we might not have actually had enough gingerbread to actually eat any." Cole stated, wiping the white powder from his face. He had no intention of missing out on something that was _almost_ as good as cake.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Staring at the oven is not going to make those cookies finish baking any sooner, Lloyd." Zane told the small boy who was sitting cross legged on the kitchen floor. Lloyd sighed. They'd managed to finish cleaning up the aftermath of their exploits, but he was anxious to get his first taste of gingerbread.

"You don't know that. Maybe it's one of my super awesome Green Ninja powers to make things cook faster." Given that he really had no idea what his powers might be, or how they worked, it _was_ possible. _Or maybe he had laser eyes_. _Laser eyes would sure be cool._

"Somehow, I find that doubtful. Unless your abilities extend to controlling time itself?" The nindroid replied. Lloyd scrunched up his face in concentration, willing the baking process to reach its end, _now_. Nothing happened. _Darn._

"Nah… Guess that's _not_ something I can do. It _would_ be pretty awesome, though."

"Indeed. It would have come on handy, earlier, when we ended up having to deep clean the kitchen…"

"That wasn't _my_ fault." He objected, rolling his eyes. _Just because he'd joined in on the fun didn't mean he was responsible for the huge mess they'd made…_

"Yeah, Zane. Give credit where credit is due. That was _all_ me. And it was totally worth it." Jay called from the doorway, looking somewhat more sane now that he'd managed to wash the cookie dough out of his hair. Not that he _ever_ looked completely sane. Nya followed him in, saying,

" _Don't_ encourage him, guys. He's already ridiculous enough without you enabling him."

"Your words wound me, madam!" He complained. She jostled him with her arm.

"C'mon, you know we'll still love you, no matter how many marbles you lose. Now, how are the cookies doing?" Lloyd looked forlorn.

"They still have a while to go… isn't there _anything_ you can do?" He complained.

"About the bake time? No – but I did manage to grab some paper and pens after I washed up. Why don't we write some letters to Santa?" Suggested Nya, holding out the materials. A small smile crossed the boy's features as he peeled himself off of the floor.

"Okay. That _would_ be more exciting than what I'm doing right now…" He plopped down on a chair and accepted the necessary items. Then, he paused, unsure.

"Er… What exactly do I say?"

"Start with ' _Dear Santa'-_ " The samurai began, ruffling his hair affectionately.

"And then, you can always throw in some compliments before you get to the good stuff - which is the presents, of course." Continued Jay, enthusiastically. Zane stifled a smile. _It was lovely to see his family get so involved with teaching the young Green Ninja's Christmas traditions._ He felt it only fair to contribute his own advice.

"I don't think it truly matters _what_ you write. Santa will appreciate receiving a letter from you regardless." Slightly overwhelmed by the input his elders had given him, Lloyd stared blankly at the page for a few more minutes before writing _**Deer Santa, how are you? Whats it like to live at the North Poll?**_.

"How do you spell hope?" He inquired. Nya glanced up from her own letter. _If Lloyd was gonna write one, she was joining him. No questions asked._

"Oh, uh… H-O-P-E. Does that help?" Lloyd barely acknowledged her, scribbling down _**I hope you are duing fantastic! I know iv done a lot of bad things in the passed, but iv been trying really hard to be good this yr.**_ He continued writing, occasionally asking for more help with spelling. _**Nya saiz you can do anything, so, I have a biiig faver to ask you. Can you maybe get my dad to stop attaking my friends til after New Yr's? I just want him to be able to celabrait. No one should be fighting on Xmas… Anyway, if you cant do that, its alrite, but, in that case, can you pleaz send me the latest Starfarers comic? Iv really ben looking foreward to reading it. Have a merry Xmas and tell Rudolph I say hi.**_

 _ **-Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon**_

 _ **Ps. How do you travel so fast?**_

 _ **Pps. What's your favrite kind of cookie? I like the ones with lots of frosting and sprinkles, but gingerbred seems cool, too**_ _._ By the time he was finished, Zane was pulling the first pan of gingerbread out of the oven.

"When can I have one?" Lloyd immediately demanded, leaving his letter on the table as he rushed to the counter to inspect them.

" _Not_ until they've cooled down a bit," Nya replied, "I'm not letting you burn your taste buds off today, green bean." This resulted in a groan from the small boy, but he knew better than to disobey his big sister.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"You need to see this." Nya told her brother later, snagging him in the hallway before dinner.

"You _sneak_. Does Lloyd know you have his letter?" He asked, glancing at the paper she held in her hand. _They clearly needed to put more focus on Lloyd's spelling abilities the next time they helped him get up to date on his education._

"Just read it." She insisted. Kai humored her, quickly scanning the content of the note. And then, he frowned.

"I can't believe he wrote this sap… ' _No one should be fighting on christmas'_?"

"We're totally doing something about this, right?" Kai wrapped an arm around Nya's shoulder and smirked.

"Course we are. This is _Lloyd_ we're talking about. I hope the Mailman can deliver, cause I've got a letter of my own to write…" She raised an eyebrow at his questionable pun, a little confused.

"Who are you…. _Oh_. You're seriously gonna send _Lord Garmadon_ a letter?"

"Why not? There's a small chance it won't end badly. And we gotta try. I mean, it's the kid's first real Christmas. We won't know unless we go through with it." He explained.

"Point taken. I'm in." However this went down, both of them were willing to go to pretty much any length to make their adoptive brother happy. _Christmas had the magic to bring people together. They just had to trust that Garmadon would honor that._

/\/\/\/\/\/\

 **Thank you for taking the time to read another installment in Operation Christmas Lloyd. Hopefully you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Any feedback or suggestions is always welcome, but you already know that. Have a magical holiday season. Go out there and bake some cookies!**

 **~GwenBrightly**


	5. Chapter 5: Santa

**Author's Note : Merry Christmas everyone! So, due to unforseen levels of holiday chaos, I will most likely be posting another 1-2 chapters after Christmas is technically over. While I** _ **might**_ **be able to speed write something by tomorrow, I feel that it would be better to prioritize quality over timelyness. Anyways, I am excited to be publishing "Santa" today! I had fun writing this, especially the ending, so I hope you enjoy reading!**

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Spider-Man Super-Fan: Aw… Thanks! I really love writing fluffy sweetness. It's the best. And child Lloyd is super fun to write, so it's always nice to hear what people think of my characterization. Oh, I think you'll be quite pleased with how the whole letter writing business is gonna work out. Just you wait. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday!**

 **JBomb217: HI! Aw, really? I wasn't even trying to be that comedic, but I had so much fun writing this and think about how everyone would respond to Kai's issues… This family has serious issues with self restraint. They're all so reckless. Perfect ending? That's so kind of you to say! I hope you are having a lovely holiday and that you are able to enjoy "Santa"!**

 **Guest: I will do my best to work with your suggestion – after watching Wu's Teas, I totally think that Nya** _ **is**_ **a good artist. Probably will end up being addressed in Of Milk and Cookies, as Operation Christmas Lloyd is almost completed. Thank you so much for your feedback! It's super cool to here that you've been along for the Journey! Hope you have a wonderful holiday!**

 **Lloydskywalkers: Aaaand you already know to check your pms, but I hope you appreciate the nod to Harumi I added just for you!**

/\/\/\/\/\

Everyone let out a sigh of relief as Zane finally stopped circling the lot and found a parking spot a reasonable distance from the entrance to Ninjago City's mall complex. If only the holiday season didn't tend to bring out the worst in people's driving habits. Traffic had been horrible the entire commute from the Bounty (still parked not far from Dareth's dojo), thanks to the limited amount of time left before Christmas arrived. Hopefully the crowds inside wouldn't prevent the group from achieving their goal. Given Lloyd's fascination with Santa, they had determined that getting a picture with him was non negotiable. So, they had elected to visit the miniature North Pole currently located at the mall. A decision that _definitely_ had _nothing_ to do with the copious amounts of decorations they could expect to see, because Nya would _never_ sacrifice practicality (the smaller businesses in the city were probably less heavily populated) for her admittedly excessive love of looking at Christmas displays. Though, she'd do her best to protect Kai from having a panic attack. She still wasn't sure exactly what to think of the revelation they'd had the day before during the cookie escapade, but she felt responsible for making sure _everyone_ enjoyed this trip. The samurai tightly gripped Lloyd's hand as she climbed out of the car, careful not to lose her balance on the slightly icy asphalt. _She sure as heck wasn't letting him wander off again. Not unless he wanted to get himself grounded for the next decade or so._ Which _,_ now that she thought about it, would probably inconvenient for his aspirations as the Green Ninja. _Oh well, they could work something out if they really needed to._

"If you get yourself hit by a car, _so help me,_ Lloyd, I'll-" Lloyd rolled his eyes at her.

"Geez, Nya. I _know_ how to walk across a parking lot safely. I'm not a baby."

"You sure act like one some times..." Teased Kai. The small boy glared ferociously.

"I do _not._ Two words, Kai: Gingerbread. Men." He objected as they approached the crosswalk.

"Hey! That was low, even for you, green bean." _Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh, but being the youngest was already annoying enough without his older siblings calling him a baby._

"Well, next time, don't-"

"Please tell me you'll stop behaving like this once we get inside? I'd really rather not get kicked out of Santa's village." Zane interrupted the two before the argument could progress into a snow fight, which from the way they eyed the surrounding drifts would have happened sooner or later.

"Wait – that's an actual thing that could happen?" Gasped Jay, suddenly panicked. He exchanged a fearful glance with Lloyd. _That would be super embarrassing. Maybe even more embarrassing than that time his parents told everyone about his pillow…_ And Lloyd just _had_ to meet Santa. The kid deserved to experience every possible Christmas tradition.

"You never know. But let's not find out. I know how much we've all been looking forward to this." Nya linked her spare arm with his. It felt nice to be rid of the awkwardness that had plagued them until recently. Nice to be out enjoying the day with her family without any sign of Serpentine, fake or otherwise. _Why couldn't the rest of her life be like this?_

"Suppose they have any mistletoe hanging up in there?" Her boyfriend asked jokingly. Kai and Lloyd immediately forgot their spat, letting out a mutual groan of disgust – as per usual.

"If they do, we'll have to make sure we ask _Cole_ to get a picture, since he's been _so_ invested in recording our most romantic moments lately." She replied with a giggle. They didn't plan on letting go of the incident anytime soon. Which meant that they were eager to take any opportunity to torment the ninja of earth. He, however, had chosen to roll with the punches.

"Oh, I'd be _more_ than happy to. Just don't be surprised when I photoshop mustaches onto _both_ of you." Cole declared, holding the door for his friends. Jay snorted.

"Like we'd even look badwith mustaches. Nya can pull off _any_ look."

"Aw… thanks! I'll remember that if I ever have to go undercover as a police officer or something…" The teen paused, taking in the extravagant decorations that welcomed them, "Oh… Wow!" Everything was coated with a fine layer of glitter. Bow covered wreaths hung on the railings of the balcony above them, while long strings of oversized ornaments and snowflakes trailed from the ceiling. Poinsettias lined pathways leading to different stores. Not too far away, a forest seemed to have taken up residence, its trees adorned with tinsel and powdery fake snow.

"You can say that again. This place makes Wall-to-Wall-Mart look like a toddler decorated it!" Lloyd tried to pull away from her to get a better look at the nativity situated to the right of the entrance. Nya prevented him from succeeding, instead allowing herself to be drug along behind him. Pulling out her phone, she snapped a quick picture of the scene. Lloyd's green sweater looked a little out of place against the backdrop of figures wearing ancient Ninjagian garb, but he didn't seem to mind. He was too busy taking in all the sights and sounds around him _._ Even after all the places he'd gotten to travel to _– though he'd prefer_ _not to think about his time as Pythor's_ _prisoner –_ there were still so many new and exciting things to explore here. Lloyd was certain he never wanted to leave, infatuated with the sparkles, lights, and displays, much as he had been the first time he was exposed to such things. The alcove they stood in was quite peaceful in comparison to the rest of the building. A song – _Winter Wonderland?_ Played quietly in the background. Lloyd surprised himself by actually being able to recall the names of the songs his family had taught him. _Was that Nya singing along? Man, she sure sounded pretty. But was the middle of the mall really the best place for her to be sharing her talents?_

"That's a lot of people…" Nya stopped singing at the sound of Kai's voice, as if suddenly remembering where they were. He was pointing towards the continuously expanding line of individuals who were waiting to meet Santa.

"No kidding. Looks like we should probably go get in line if we want to be outta here before the new year comes around. It's a mess over there." Cole observed. Nya and Kai shared a look. They had things to do later. Important things.

"Yeah," The samurai reluctantly agreed, "Guess we'll have to do some long distance sight seeing for now, Lloyd."

" _Oh._ Okay." Lloyd said, taking one last glance at the display before following them to the roped off section that marked the end of the line. _It looked like it went on forever…_ Nearby, he noticed Kai hanging back, looking slightly more tense than one would expect when not in immediate danger. He followed the teens line of sight, trying to figure out what could possibly be getting this reaction out of him. _Oh. Yeah, that would explain it._ There was an elf walking towards them.

"They can't hurt you. It's just a costume – Nya says the real ones are at the north pole, getting ready for Christmas." He told his older brother, squeezing his hand reassuringly. The gesture was surprisingly calming, given the dynamic that normally existed between them – not that he would willingly admit it. A child, especially one with Lloyd's history, shouldn't be the one doing the comforting. That was _his_ job. Kai was an adult. Well, sorta... _Did his exact age really matter anyway? Not really._

"Wait a second… I think we know that elf…" The ninja of fire stared confusedly as the person drew closer.

"Is that… _Chad?!"_ Asked Jay.

"Hey, guys! I wasn't expecting to see you guys so soon after the whole cosplay thingy!" The teen in the elf suit greeted them cheerfully. _Ah, so this was the person the ninja had mistaken for a Serpentine…_

"We _are_ awfully sorry about that…" Zane replied.

"It's okay! My girlfriend warned me that wearing that costume in the parking lot of Ninjago City's largest mall wasn't a good idea, but I didn't listen," Chad told them, "And you must be Nya – nice to meet you – And obviously, you're Lloyd. The _Green Ninja_. This is _so_ cool! I wasn't expecting to meet a celebrity today! I mean, I wasn't expecting to meet your friends the other day, either, but you get what I mean…" he gave the small boy a fist bump. Nya smiled. If her brothers were going to have awkward run ins with civilians, at least it had been someone who seemed to be very understanding. And who could rival her boyfriend's extreme levels of energy. _The two would probably be great friends if they continued to bump into each other like this._

"So… You work here?" Inquired Cole, wondering if they'd ever see this guy in normal getup.

"Yup! You're talking to the Head Elf of Santa's Workshop!" He explained enthusiastically. Jay's eyes widened.

"That's _so_ awesome! I bet that would be the perfect job for me if I wasn't already a ninja!"

"Yeah, your energy and attitude are fantastic - and we could, like, totally hang out together at work and stuff. It'd be super fun! ... But… Ninjago needs you, so you'd better not quit anytime soon. We don't want any more giant snakes attacking the city, or anything… heheh." Though it was clearly meant to be a joke, none of them found it particularly funny. Especially when Nya noticed an article titled _Girl Orphaned in Snake Attack Finds New Family In Time For Christmas_ on a nearby magazine stand. Both were an unwelcome reminder that the world they lived in wasn't always as wonderful as it seemed right now. So many people had suffered, no matter how hard they'd worked to keep the city safe. She hoped whoever the article featured was having a nice holiday in the midst of the recent tragedy. The success of the project she and her brother were currently pursuing would certainly help make the season more peaceful for everyone – if they could convince the other parties involved that it would be to their advantage to cooperate with them, that is.

"Anyway, I'm about to head out – but, I can sneak you up to the front of the line if you want? I mean, I'm sure you're awfully busy keeping those darn snakes away and all that jazz…" Chad was offering by the time Nya turned her attention to the conversation again.

"That would be greatly appreciated. If you're certain it won't get you in trouble, that is?" Inquired Zane. _He didn't wish to cause more problems for their new… Friend, but it would be best to limit the amount of time spent standing around doing nothing. Certain members of his family had an attention span comparable to that of a flea._ The 'Head Elf' waved his hands dismissively.

"It's no biggie!" He assured them. And so, they followed Chad through a maze of trees and ginormous candy canes until they reached a small side gate. They waited as the teen entered the clearing and approached a bearded man dressed in a fluffy red and white outfit. _Santa! Lloyd was finally gonna meet Santa! Well… Maybe not the actual Santa, since_ he _had to supervise toy making and reindeer games, but this was the next best thing! Surely this person, who was hand selected by the big man at the north pole (or so he'd been told) to help keep an eye on the children of the world would be able to help make his Christmas wish come true!_ Chad whispered something to the man. He smiled and nodded. It was okay for them to come in. Lloyd gleefully rushed forward, excited for his audience to begin.

"Hello little boy." Normally, Lloyd would have been offended by being called little, but, it didn't bother him so much when this particular old man said it. Besides, acting rude would only risk putting him on the naughty list, and that could _not_ happen.

"Hi." He breathed, "I'm Lloyd."

"Nice to meet you." 'Santa' replied with a twinkle in his eye.

"I-it's nice to meet you, too."

"And what is it you want for Christmas this year, Lloyd?" The old man asked, patting his seat invitingly. The boy joined him in the rather large throne.

"Well… I know you're not _really_ Santa," the man gave him a questioning look - that didn't normally happen, "cause Nya – she's my sister- right over there," He pointed to the others, "Says the real Santa sent you here to help him out since he's so busy and everything, but…You're _here_ , and I _know_ Santa doesn't choose just _anyone_ to work with him, so I was hoping maybe…" In a whisper, Lloyd explained the details of the only thing he _truly_ wanted. Because it was definitely going to take some holiday magic to work out. As an afterthought, he mentioned the comic book too, but that really wasn't all that important to him. He could always pester Kai and Nya until they took him to Doomsday Comics to get it.

"Goodness. I think that's the most selfless Christmas wish I've ever gotten… I'll do my best to see that it happens…" The boy's companion commented as he finished.

"Thank you." Nodding, 'Santa' motioned for the rest of the group to join them so pictures could be taken.

"It's what I'm here for…" They thanked him profusely after posing for plenty of less than flattering photos with a small smattering of actually decent (adorable) ones thrown in for good measure. One of the nearby employees informed them that they'd email them everything within 24 hours. The only female in the group looked quite delighted, stating that they'd have time to look at the entries for the tree decorating contest after all. Lloyd waved goodbye to him, looking incredibly happy.

Kevin had been working as a Santa at the Ninjago City Mall for well over two decades. Every year, he dealt with screaming, crying, and _accidents_ , but it was moments like this that made him keep coming back. _What a nice family._ He'd never seen a group of teenagers so willing to take goofy pictures with a child. He glanced at his watch. It was almost time for his shift to be over. But first, he was going to make sure the he paid the photographer for their photo shoot. He might not be able to single handedly prevent Lord Garmadon from making poor life choices, but that didn't mean there was _nothing_ he could do to give that little ray of sunshine a bit of holiday cheer. _And then? Maybe he'd take his family to check out the trees the girl had been so excited about. After all, Christmas didn't last forever._

/\/\/\/\

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Nya asked her brother as they approached a dimly lit alley located on the outskirts of the city. Kai took another look at the crumpled piece of paper that had been delivered to them earlier.

"Yep. This is definitely it."

"Ugh. Why couldn't he have chosen a less sketchy place to meet…" She shivered as an icy gust of wind buffeted her hair, "Maybe somewhere _inside_ where it's actually _warm_? And well lit?"

"Think about who we're talking about, here. He thrivesoff of darkness and fear. A nice little Café somewhere in the nicest part of town wouldn't be in character for him. Like, at all." Commented the ninja of fire, shrugging.

"I just hope this doesn't turn out to be a trap…" Nya replied. They had both been fairly surprised when they received a response to the letter they had sent Lloyd's father – and even more shocked when they discovered that he wanted to meet with them.

"Which is why I actually listened when Jay insisted we turn on the trackers you guys installed on our phones. But I'd like to hope that there a slight chance of this working out. I mean, as much as I had to admit it, the guy _does_ care an awful lot about Lloyd, so maybe?" They warily entered the alley, searching the gloom for any signs of danger.

"If it isn't the pyromaniac and the samurai…" A voice said from the shadows.

" _Lord Garmadon."_ Kai stated coolly.

"You're late." The man observed. _Hah_! _As if he'd actually been paying attention._

"Only by a few minutes – and it's not _my_ fault you picked somewhere so ridiculously out of the way."

"Insolent child!"

"Look," Nya interrupted, "We didn't come here for trouble. Why did you ask us to meet you?" Garmadon stared at the two teens for a moment, his red eyes glowing.

"I wasn't expecting a letter like that. Not many people would be willing to reach out to their enemy on behalf of a child with Lloyd's background. I felt that I should address the issue in person. Mail can be so unreliable these days."

"Uhuh. And that has _nothing_ to do with your scheming, I'm sure." Commented Kai. The dark lord continued, ignoring him.

"I am willing to offer you a truce until January first, but that is all. The Megaweapon will remain untouched for that time. When the time comes, my forces will continue to assist me in my end game. All I ask in return is that you refrain from actively seeking to destroy me _or_ my associates until we have reached the new year."

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just, I don't know, gave us the weapon and stopped trying to take over the world?" The resulting glares Kai's suggestion received from both his sister and Garmadon forced him to give up on that plan, "….Or not…"

"We accept your terms." Nya declared before the ninja of fire could try anything else stupid.

"Good. I will make the necessary arrangements with the Serpentine commanders. I…. I _do_ appreciate the lengths you've gone to for my son. My spies assure me that he has been getting to have a good holiday thanks to you." Replied their beloved baby brother's father, looking less terrifying than before. The siblings shared a smile. As evil as this man might be, he _definitely_ had a soft spot for his child.

"We'd do anything for him. He's a pretty special kid." The samurai told him quietly.

"That is probably the only thing we agree on. But it is time for you to be going. I'm sure the others are worried that I've done something horrible to you. First, though, can you make sure Lloyd gets this package. It's very important that he doesn't think I don't… I just want to give him something for Christmas…" Garmadon held out one of his hands, showing them a box. It appeared to have been hastily wrapped with green paper. A few pieces of tape were all that was preventing the wrapping from falling off. _Had the evil warlord done this himself?_

"It's not a bomb, or something… Right?" Kai just had to inquire. The man frowned at him, sighing.

"I may be destined to face my son in battle one day, but make no mistake. I would _never_ do something to end his life prematurely. If you do not trust me, you can open the box and see for yourself."

"I believe you. Weirdly. Uh… Merry Christmas, I guess?" Nya said awkwardly, taking the package from him.

"… To you as well, I suppose. Goodbye."

Kai and Nya were relieved to step back out onto a well lit sidewalk. The whole thing had been a bit odd and completely unexpected, but clearly, it had been worth the risk.

"I can't believe how smoothly that went." The fire ninja commented to his sister.

"I know. Lloyd's gonna be so happy when he finds out! Guess I should probably let the others know we're on our way home. There's no telling what mischief they've managed to get into without us…"

"Yeah. Good plan. I don't wanna have to deal with a panicky phone call from the sparkplug today." Nya pulled out her phone and texted a quick **Hey, we survived. Xoxo** to Jay. He replied within seconds. She soon found herself furiously texting her curious boyfriend the details of their latest adventure. The news was too exciting for her not to share as soon as possible. _Christmas really did bring people together, didn't it?_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

 **I hope you enjoyed reading this – it's the longest chapter yet, but I've been envisioning this ending for "Santa" for weeks – so, no surprise there... Please remember that feedback and suggestions are always welcome. Wishing you a fantastic Christmas!**

 **~GwenBrightly**


	6. Chapter 6: Christmas Eve

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas full of family and relaxation. There should be maybe one more chapter before Operation Christmas Lloyd officially comes to an end. Once again, I apologize for not being able to finish this before Christmas, but I really do appreciate the ongoing support from all my readers! Please enjoy "Christmas Eve"!**

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Guest** _ **: I had a wonderful Christmas, how about you? Sending much love your way and hoping that you enjoy this next chapter!**_

 **Jbomb217: Foreshadowing and referencing past events is something I really enjoy getting to do! It's super fun to see what people manage to catch. You found all of them, I think. And yep, that was Harumi! I fail to believe that being adopted by the royal family would not gain the attention of the media… also, I thought she was an interesting character, whom I may attempt to do something more substantial with someday, if I ever get the time. Yup, definitely very awkward. That imagery just popped into my head, so I went for it. Everything worked out – I don't have the heart to be mean to Lloyd at Christmas! Thank you so much for your feedback! Please enjoy "Christmas Eve"!**

 **Spider-Man Super-Fan:** _ **Oh, Yay! While unexpected, I really wanted to have at least a little bit of Garmadon in this story, and the thought of Kai and Nya being forced to meet with him in such a sketchy way was super fun to write! Having four hands doesn't help with everything, I'm afraid, but Garmadon**_ **is** _ **trying, and that's all that really matters anyway! Hope you enjoy "Christmas Eve"!**_

 **/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Rockin' around the Christmas tree – something, something, something rock," The ninja of earth sang at the top of his lungs, setting a plate of cookies on the table. Nya looked up from her sketchpad, laughing.

"Pretty sure that's _not_ how that song goes, Cole."

" _Whatever._ It's Christmas Eve. Who cares if I don't remember the lyrics to every Christmas carol ever?" He replied before bursting out in song again. Carrying a jug of eggnog and some glasses, Jay joined in the singing. He relieved himself of the beverage before prancing over to his girlfriend, who quickly covered the drawing she'd been working on. _Was it a Christmas present for someone?_ He was tempted to ask, but knew he probably wouldn't get an answer. Nya had been very secretive about anything regarding gifts for her family.

"Mistletoe hung where you can see, ev'ry couple tries to stop," Jay pulled her off of the couch, twirling her around the room as the two continued harmonizing. Dizzily spinning and laughing, the two lost themselves in the song, enjoying the moment they had snatched for themselves in the midst of all the holiday chaos. He dipped her as they leaned in for a kiss (and somehow managed to not drop her), just in time to hear the rest of their family – minus Sensei Wu, who was off meditating somewhere - enter the TV room.

"You guys are such dorks!" The future Green Ninja complained. The couple righted themselves, smiling softly at each other.

"That may be true, but we're _your_ dorks. Can't get rid of us, now can you?" Cole said, throwing an arm around his shoulders. Lloyd rolled his eyes.

" _And_ we're the only dorks who'll let you stay up past your bedtime and watch movies." Kai pointed out, "Especially when one of us doesn't even particularly like Rudolph."

"You're sure you are up for this? We can select something else, if need be." Zane offered. Kai shrugged.

"I'll be fine. Probably? I can always wear _this_ if I need to. Hearing the movie shouldn't bother me as much as _seeing_ it." He held up a sleep mask he must have snagged from Nya's stash of self care products. It was bright blue and coated with sparkles – not something Kai would have been likely to keep on hand for himself.

"Not even going to ask how long you've had that…" His sister decided wisely. Growing up as each other's only family, Nya had long ago resigned herself to the reality that pretty much everything she owned was in joint custody with Kai. Even the things she would never had expected him to take an interest in, like sleep masks and strawberry scented shampoo – speaking of which, he definitely still owed her for _that_. Not that she could complain very much, given that she treated his belongings just the same. _What could she say? He had astoundingly good taste sometimes._ But if he _ever_ touched her samurai mech? She would take no responsibility for any retaliation that might occur as a result.

"I for one, plan to make the most of Sensei Wu letting us off of early sunrise exercises tomorrow, so let's get this party started." Jay commented, attempting to avoid any conflict between the two. _Who knew what else Kai had stolen (? Yeah, that seemed like a good word.) from her._

"Eh. Might as well." The movie quickly made its way out of its case and into the DVD player. The samurai found herself wedged tightly between Lloyd and Jay. A familiar tune played as the opening credits rolled into view.

"What is this, a game of ' _how many ninja can you fit on a couch_ '?" She cried when her brother tried to join them on the already overcrowded piece of furniture.

"There are plenty of chairs that are not already occupied. I think everyone, including yourself, would be more comfortable if you selected one of them instead." Suggested Zane. Nya nodded in agreement. She'd appreciate actually having room to breath, thank you very much.

"But-" He protested, looking warily at the two teens, who were, in his opinion, sitting far too close to each other. The nindroid stared at him sternly. He sighed before eventually taking up residence in a nearby recliner. _He'd just have to supervise the couple from there._ Conversation died off once the anthropomorphic snowman introduced the story. Lloyd, having never seen a talking snow sculpture, was immediately drawn into the plot. Nibbling on a cookie and noisily slurping his eggnog, he made sure to squee and gasp dramatically at all the right moments. Until… _Were those tears in his eyes?_

"Lloyd, you okay? You kinda look like you're… Crying?" A concerned Nya asked him during the segment that took place on the Island of Misfit Toys. Lloyd shook his head stubbornly.

"N-nuhuh. M'not crying… Just… Rudolph's got a red nose, an' all Hermie wants is to be a dentist, and sure, some of those toys are a little weird, but people are so _mean_ to them? Like, they did nothing to deserve _that_? And it's… it's so _sad! Why do people have to be so mean?"_ The small boy sobbed. He rubbed furiously at his face in attempt to remove the snot and tears. _Someone would definitely have to confiscate his sweater for washing later._

"I _know!_ It's heartbreaking!" Jay joined in, completely serious.

" _Okaaay…_ No more eggnog for you two." Cole determined, snatching their glasses. The two boys looked despairingly at each other. _Not only was this movie depressing as heck, but now they'd lost their drinks as well?_ Nya wasn't quite convinced that the eggnog was the only thing causing Lloyd to become so emotional. Jay, sure. _He was awfully sentimental, crying easily while watching soap operas with her, and the added sugar probably wasn't helping._ But Lloyd? It seemed much more likely that he was unconsciously aware of the parallels between his own life and the events displayed in the movie. After all, his history of abandonment and difficulty fitting in with peers could certainly speak to what many of the characters experienced. So, she put an arm around his shoulders and told him,

"Don't worry. Everything gets better for them in the end – I promise…" _And hopefully, the same will be true for you…_ Lloyd snuggled up to his adoptive sister's side, reveling in the safety and comfort she radiated. Eventually, his breathing calmed, and his face began to dry. Soon, he was content to watch the remainder of the movie in silence. Lloyd was pleased to discover that Nya's assurances had been accurate. Seeing the reindeer and the elf (whom Kai still seemed slightly terrified by-he'd ended up donning the sleeping mask almost immediately) gain acceptance from the rest of the North Pole and each of the toys finally find a home, brought a look of joy to his face. _Though,_ he thought as he let out a ginormous yawn, _he was starting to understand why the others didn't usually let him stay up so late. His eyelids were so heavy… Nobody would mind if he just fell asleep right there on the couch, right? It was so comfy and…_

"Oh… Look, he's sleeping…" Nya whispered. He looked so calm and peaceful like that. Not much like the energetic, mischievous boy he was when awake.

"Kid's had a lot going on lately. Let's get him to bed." The master of fire (sans sleeping mask) gently lifted the boy and carried him to his bedroom. Even after months of living with the ninja and having people who were very invested in his wellbeing, Lloyd was still _awfully_ small for his age. And _light_. It felt like he weighed less than most of the tools Kai had used back when he was still a blacksmith. _If the kid didn't have a growth spurt one of these days, he was gonna end up being a midget or something._

"Don' forget… the… cookies fer Santa… Gotta make sure… He's…" He murmered softly, only half awake, as Nya tucked him in. She smoothed his hair and whispered,

"We got it covered, sleepy head." Lloyd sank onto his pillow, satisfied that his family would take care of things.

/\/\/\/\/\

The group of teens admired their handiwork. After Lloyd had been safely dropped off in his room, they had set to work arranging presents under the tree. Though they had agreed not to go overboard when getting each other gifts, there was still a fine collection of wrapped packages to be distributed the next morning. And, since Lloyd so vehemently believed in Santa, they had chosen to keep all the presents hidden until tonight, to perpetuate the magic of the holiday and give the illusion that the Bounty had been visited by his sleigh. The task had involved a fair amount of shushing – they couldn't have Lloyd waking up on them, now could they – and almost knocking the poor Christmas tree over (multiple times) , but in the end, it had been worth it.

"He's gonna _love_ it." Commented Nya.

"He'd better, or I'm returning that action figure I bought him."

" _Kai_! I wasn't just talking about the presents. I mean… Well, everything. The whole Christmas atmosphere. Spending time with family. Playing silly games and sticking bows to the top of someone's head. Simply enjoying a day of peace and goodness… There's so much more to tomorrow than giving and getting. And besides," The girl elbowed her brother sharply, "That would be downright _cruel_! You wouldn't deprive our precious green bean of this chance at happiness, would you?" He rolled his eyes.

"Of course not, sis. I was joking. That kid deserves a good Christmas more than _any_ of us. Though, I _do_ hope whatever Garmadon put in that box doesn't traumatize him." The others nodded in agreement. They hadn't tampered with it, but everyone was anxious to find out exactly what Lloyd's father had sent him.

"He has kept his word on the truce thus far. I would like to believe he was being truthful about _this_ as well." Zane stated. There had been absolutely no sign of Serpentine, nor anything that could have been created by the Mega Weapon as an attempt to antagonize the group. This fact was greatly appreciated by all of them, even Lloyd, who did not fully understand the situation, as they had kept the meeting with Garmadon a secret.

"Guess we'll find out tomorrow. I doubt Lloyd's gonna let us sleep in, though. We should probably follow his example and hit the hay." Commented Cole with a yawn. His exhaustion was contagious; it didn't take his fellow ninja (and samurai) long to say their good nights and begin dispersing to their nighttime haunts. As he approached the door to the TV room, Jay felt someone gently grab his wrist.

"Wait! I-I know it's late, but… Would you stay here? With me? Just for a second… I have something I want to give you before everything gets all crazy tomorrow…" Nya whispered. He smiled at her, tenderly, despite his tiredness.

"O-of course… Just gimme a minute. I'm… I have a little something for you, too." A kiss on her cheek and he was gone. She seated herself and opened her sketchbook. After a moment, she carefully tore out the page she'd been dedicating all her recent spare time to. Tracing the image she'd drawn, she rolled it up and tied it off with a piece of electric blue ribbon she'd been saving. _Everything looked so pretty in the soft glow of the Christmas lights and the star that represented the greatest gift that had ever been given. Without the insanity that accompanied her family whenever they entered a room, the scene was so peaceful…So…Huh? Why were her eyes covered?_

"Guess who?" Her boyfriend joked.

"Preetty sure no one else is still awake, Jay… Come sit." He removed his hands and joined her on the couch.

"Hard to believe it's Christmas already, huh?"

"It's crazy… Last year, it was just me and Kai. So much has changed since then… But I'm glad I get to spend _this_ Christmas _here_. With _you."_ Nya held out her gift, "Here… I didn't have a chance to wrap it very well, but… I-I hope you like it…" Jay accepted it with gentle hands.

"Nya, this is… _Wow…_ "

"You really think so?" Together, they examined her work of art. He was confident she'd captured the imagery perfectly. The words ' _You are the best you'_ were written in curlicue lettering across the bottom of the sketch, which featured the moment he'd found his true potential.

"I _do._ And I'm not just saying that cause we're dating. I really, really mean it. This was the best gift you could possibly have given me!" Jay wrapped his beautiful warrior princess (as he liked to think of her) in a tight hug. She burrowed into him. His warmth was intoxicating to her; she wanted to stay that way forever.

"You're amazing. You know that, right?"

"Psh. I don't know about that…" He kissed her nose, "But I should probably give you _your_ gift before you fall asleep on me. I don't think your brother would be a fan of me having to carry you to your room... So, here, this is for you, my darling samurai." She smirked at the pet name, appreciating that they had reached the point where this was okay for them. Unlike her, Jay had actually been able to wrap his present prior to giving it to her. She delicately removed the sparkly blue bow that adorned its top. Next came the crinkle of the wrapping paper as she tore it off.

"I- How did you even get this?" Nya exclaimed in surprise.

" _Well_ , not gonna lie - it wasn't easy… There was a heavy amount of bribery involved… But, Cole gave in eventually, heheh." Jay told her, "D-do you like it?" She glanced down at the framed photo of the mistletoe incident and then stared into his eyes.

"Like it? It's _perfect_. _You're perfect!"_ Nye gushed, blushing when she realized exactly what she'd just said.

"Merry Christmas, Nya." The master of lightning remarked before claiming her lips for one last kiss. _This was the best holiday ever._

/\/\/\/\/\/

 **As always, I hope that you found joy and entertainment when reading "Christmas Eve". All the feedback and suggestions I receive are greatly appreciated and go a long ways towards inspiring me to keep writing. Have a fantastic remainder of your holiday season!**

 **~GwenBrightly**


	7. Chapter 7: Christmas Day

**Author's Note: It's here! The conclusion you've all been waiting for: "Christmas Day"! I've so enjoyed writing Operation Christmas Lloyd this past monthish. A year ago, I never would have thought I'd get drawn back into the Ninjago Fandom (** _ **Thanks**_ **Alexa, if you're reading this, my son), or that I'd start writing fanfiction again – 2018 was definitely a year of firsts for me, though. All the support I've received thus far has been so incredibly wonderful; keep doing what you're doing, everyone! So many of you are very gifted authors and it's been a pleasure to work with you. I hope you enjoy this final chapter, and that Lloyd's present lives up to your hype!**

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Jbomb217: I had a wonderful (if busy) Christmas! Lloyd loves his family, even if they are the dorkiest of dorks sometimes… Haha. To be honest, I don't even know** _ **where**_ **that come from, but now I can't get the image of Kai wearing a sleeping mask out of my head. Where's photoshop when you need it?! And yeah, if he's anything like** _ **my**_ **siblings, you probably don't want to know the sheer number of things he's 'borrowed' from Nya. Oh, please don't cry! Keep those warm fuzzies instead. I think I have a major addiction to writing Jaya now. They're just so adorkable. But I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying the way o incorporate their moments! Your feedback is a blessing! And, uh, I really, really, hope you like where I went with Garmadons package! Thanks again!**

 **Guest: No problem! It ended up working out perfectly, so thank you for suggesting that! Thank you SO much for leaving me your thoughts. People like you give me a ton of inspiration!**

 **Guest: Aw… Thanks! From my experience, this really is how siblings interact. And theft is better than sticking creepy puppets in each other's beds, which is what mine do… They are super close, because they are so used to being the only family they had. Which means they're very comfortable with doing thins like this. Thank you for your feedback!**

 **Andrea Lundgaard Mller: Hello! I am very glad to hear that you like my story so far! And that I am doing okay with staying true to the character's personalities. No worries on the English! I thought it was fine. Have a wonderful new year!**

 **Spider-Man Super-Fan: No worries on not reading this as soon as it was posted; I totally understand that life is craze. Oh my goodness, yes! I've really loved writing all the Jaya moments – it's so great to hear that someone else is enjoying them! I hope you like where I went with all the presents! And please! Can we keep the Christmas spirit alive as long as possible?! I'm not ready for it to be over… Thanks for your ongoing support! You are a Rockstar.**

 **Lloydskywalkers: It's time for the obligatory 'check your pms' memo! Haha. Someday I'll become more creative with my footnotes… Until then, stay healthy and enjoy this chapter!**

 **/\/\/\/\**

The Bounty was still wrapped in a quiet haze of peacefulness when Lloyd woke up. The boy groaned and burrowed back under the covers; ugh, it was too, too early. _Why was he even awake?_ The last thing he remembered was thinking about how comfortable the couch in the TV room was. _Someone must have carried him back to his room. Kai or Nya, maybe?_ That seemed about right, going off of previous experience. The two were always looking out for him. Which was probably a good thing, because he hadn't done such a great job of taking care of himself after he got kicked out of Darkley's boarding school. He was pretty sure that his adoptive older siblings were, like, 50% of his impulse control. And they taught him all sorts of cool things, too. Like Spinjitzu (he was still working on that one) and how to make paper snowflakes and bake cookies! Lloyd _loved_ having a family to spend time with. Especially since he'd never exactly celebrated Christmas before… _Speaking of which, hold on a sec… If yesterday was Christmas Eve, that meant… Today was Christmas!_ He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and forced himself out of bed, suddenly full of energy. There was so much to be done! He grabbed a few small packages, which had been hidden behind his dresser, and made for the door. Dashing down the hall to the TV room, Lloyd looked around for any signs that Santa had visited. The Bounty didn't have a chimney, so really, the entry point could've been anywhere. There was a dark smudge on the floor near the door that lead to the deck – _coal perhaps –_ and a half eaten carrot a little further along. _That seemed promising…_ Upon reaching his destination, the cinnamon roll of a child found even more evidence that someone had in fact visited his home in the darkness of the night. The remains of plate of cookies he vaguely remembered insisting they set out lingered on the coffee table, beside it, an empty glass that had clearly once contained milk. And under the tree… Presents. _Piles_ of them. _Santa really had come!_ Having never received much in the way of presents (they had always somehow involved pranking at school, and the Green Ninja robes didn't count, cause he hadn't wanted them to begin with), Lloyd was _very_ excited to be part of a gift exchange. He just hoped the others liked his own offerings. It had taken a surprisingly limited amount of convincing (mostly just promising to do a few extra chores) to get his uncle to help him find something small for each of the ninja. And now he was really starting to wish that they were awake – they couldn't look at all the awesome stuff the big man in the red coat had brought them if they were all asleep… _But who to wake up first?_ Kai would definitely kill him… Cole was a pretty heavy sleeper; trying to bring him back to consciousness might take awhile… Not to mention, Cole said really weird things while asleep sometimes. _Did he really want to risk having to hear the master of earth tell him some earth shattering secret?_ Zane and Jay would probably be fairly understanding, but if he woke one of them, he'd risk waking the entire room at once, ultimately causing Kai's wrath anyway. Especially since Jay's ability to use his indoor voice could be seriously lacking on occasion. That left Nya. Who wasn't a morning person in the slightest. _But hey, if they were partners in crime, she should be cool with helping him get the others out of bed._ Probably? It was his best bet. So he wandered back out of the TV room and made his way to the samurai's quarters. He opened the door and quietly edged towards her bed.

"Nya?" He called softly. A pillow flew towards his face.

"Mnooo…Wannasleep…" Nya rolled over and covered her head with the remaining pillow. "Fivemoreminutes…" Lloyd climbed up onto the bed, and tugged at it.

" _Pleeaase,_ Nya? It's _Christmas…"_

"Christmas, you say?" She perked up a little, letting him remove the pillow. _That gave him a little bit of leeway,_ she supposed. _She shouldn't have stayed up so late with Jay. As much as she loved spending time with him without the overbearing presence of Kai, she was_ exhausted.

"Uhuh. C'mon, you hafta see what Santa left!"

"Okay, you win" The girl rubbed her eyes as she sat up, "Are the others awake yet?"

"Dunno. Figured I'd come get _you_ first. Cause, you're the least likely to, you know, try to get back at me for disrupting your sleep. Cause I'm your _baby bro_ and stuff." Lloyd explained. He tried his hardest to look innocent and loveable.

"Well, you got' that right, green bean…" Replied Nya, smirking. _This kid was gonna be the death of her._ She fought her way out from beneath the thick pile of blankets that lived on her bed, flinching slightly as the cold air hit her. Clearly the thermostat needed some serious adjustments. _She and Jay could take a look at it later. It was going to be hard to find alone time, anyway._

"Well, let's go wake the hibernating bears, then."

"When you put it like that, maybe we _shouldn't_ -" Lloyd protested, suddenly a bit more concerned about what the consequences of getting everyone up so early might be.

"Oh no you don't. You already woke me up – I refuse to be the only victim of your alarm clock impersonations. Besides, they can't stay mad at you-us for long, since it is, as you already pointed out, Christmas. It'll be fine." Nya insisted, grabbing the boy's arm and dragging him along with her. _Well now he was doomed for sure._ Together, they crept down the hall to the boys' bedroom and slipped inside. The scene they walked in in was much the same as any other time the two had been party to their brothers' sleeping habits.

"That's… _Special."_ Lloyd whispered, pointing to Jay, who was snuggling aggressively with his pillow – it was easy to see how the alleged pillow kissing incident might have occurred. _Weirdo._ The samurai bit back a laugh. Her boyfriend _did_ look ridiculous. It was a shame she hadn't thought to grab her phone. This would've been _great_ for blackmail. _Not that she would_ ever _do_ that _. Cause, it would be mean, or something like that._ Kai was completely buried under numerous blankets, clearly sharing his sister's aversion to the cold. Or maybe he was just trying to drown out Cole's snoring. _Probably both on second thought._ It was hard to tell for sure.

"Let's do this." Nya declared quietly.

"Okay, but how do we-" Asked Lloyd, nervously.

"I'll take care of Kai. Go jump on Cole's bed, or something. The racket should rouse Jay and Zane." She replied. He nodded.

"O-okay. I can do that…"

"Kai!" Nya called loudly as she yanked back the mountain of sheets. No response.

" _There's an army of elves and gingerbread men and they're attacking the Bounty!"_ This dramatic line was enough to launch her brother from his bed.

"Wha? Where?!" He cried before realizing what had happened.

"Really, Nya? Was that _really_ necessary?" She shrugged as Cole became lucid enough to shove Lloyd from his perch. The boy's training had really paid off; he managed to land uninjured despite flying through the air for several feet.

"Two down, two to go."

"You people are _crazy."_ He commented with a yawn.

"Maybe, but what does that make _you?"_ Retorted Nya. The ninja of earth rolled his eyes at her, but was unable to reply before Zane entered the conversation.

"What on earth is going on?" The nindroid inquired. Noticing the extra people in the room he added a polite, "Oh, good morning, Nya, Lloyd. Merry Christmas!"

"Christmas?! Oh my gosh, it _is_ Christmas!" A suddenly very much awake Jay nearly shouted. And, just like that, Lloyd and Nya had succeeded in waking all of their brothers. _Now for the presents._

/\/\/\/\/\/\

A few hours later, the floor was littered with wrapping paper. A variety of brightly colored bows adorned the heads of several individuals – including Lloyd – because, at one point, Nya had insisted that it wouldn't be Christmas without people wearing the wrappings of their gifts. And, of course, they humored her, since it was Christmas, and Cole, their self proclaimed photographer, was too distracted by the holiday to take any more embarrassing pictures of them. Everyone seemed quite impressed with their scores, each having obtained a small pile of items to add to their belongings. Among the most notable gifts so far were: The 100 Exotic Tea Flavors sampler for Sensei Wu (compliments of Zane), a rather elaborate nutcracker figurine gifted to Cole - from Jay-something about the master of earth's brief stint as a ballerina, during which time he'd unwillingly carried the titular role in the aforementioned ballet, though _how_ his best friend had even found out about _that,_ since it was a well guarded secret (even now that he'd started supplementing Lloyd's training with a bit of dance technique), was a rabbit hole in and of itself-, as well as a gift card for Master Chen's Noodle House (from Kai and Nya), a new cookbook/floral apron for Zane (which Lloyd had selected with help from his uncle), and the Fist-To-Face expansion pack Jay purchased for Kai (Figuring that he'd be more likely to approve of the teens relationship with his sister if he got him an impressive gift). Predictably Jay and Nya's favorite things were those they had given each other. Although they had actually exchanged said gifts the previous night, they had made sure to share them with the others. The two had also appreciated a new toolbox for Nya, from her brother, and Jay's new Star-Crossed Lovers poster, courtesy of his best friend. Lloyd was still on the fence about which gift he loved the most, from the action figure Kai had given him, to the new hoodie his uncle had found him (he was incredibly attached to his old one-they'd been through a lot together—but, eventually, he knew he'd no longer fit in it, a horrible thought, honestly) , figuring he'd probably have changed his mind once everything had been opened, anyway.

"No need to thank me!" Cole said in a self satisfied manner as Sensei Wu unwrapped the present he had given him.

"While this is a wonderful picture, I am not sure I understand the sudden obsession with mustaches…" The old man commented with a wry smile. It looked like he'd be adding another photograph to the collection of pictures that had begun to fill up empty spaces on the walls. This particular image appeared to have been taken when his students took Lloyd to see Santa. The original picture was probably quite heartwarming, but _someone_ had photoshopped mustaches onto all of their faces.

"It's a long story." Nya informed him.

"Ah. Well… Why don't you see what's in that box Ed and Edna sent everyone, now?" He suggested awkwardly, not wishing to involve himself in whatever nonsense had occurred here. Jay frowned slightly at this. He wasn't really interested in dying from embarrassment on Christmas of all days.

"We really don't have to open it right now. You know, maybe it's time for breakfast? I'm craving some of Zane's pancakes right about now."

"Don't be such a crybaby, Jay. I'm sure whatever your parents gifted us can't be any worse than that time they showed everyone your baby pictures…" Kai told him. The comment was not in any way comforting to the teen, but he gave in with a sigh.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." He lugged the large package to the center of the room, where everyone would be able to access it. It didn't take long for the lid to come off, and for the contents to be distributed among the group of pajama clad ninja.

"Uh… So, explanation time, my mom goes through phases where she's _addicted_ to knitting, which results in her making everyone she knows a Christmas sweater… and uh, she likes to thing each of them really captures the essence of the person wearing it. And yeah? That's all I got…" Jay stated, cheeks slightly rosier than usual.

"Aw… How sweet!" Exclaimed Nya. _Well, at least one person appreciated his mother's efforts._

"Okay. I can see how Wu's sweater might ' _represent his essence_ ', and even Cole's… But I'm just not _seeing_ it with mine?" Kai stated, holding up a bright red sweater emblazoned with a creature that strongly resembled a hedgehog. Laughter burst forth from his siblings.

"You really don't get it?" Lloyd wanted to know.

"Well I - "

"I-its-" Started Jay.

"The _hair."_ Nya finished, gasping for air. _So now they were finishing each other's sentences?_

"What?"

"Hate to break it to you, Kai, but your hair _does_ look kinda like a hedgehog sometimes…" Cole informed the ninja of fire.

"It's _so_ spiky!" Added Lloyd, reaching out to touch his adoptive brothers hair. Kai slapped his hand away.

"It does _not!_ And no one touches my hair, green bean. You _know_ that."

"Just admit it, bro. You secretly love it." His sister said, leaning against him affectionately.

"Okay. _Maybe_ it's not a completely _terrible_ comparison, but that all you're getting out of me." Kai admitted. Then, he reached over and started tickling Nya.

"Ahahah! _Stop_ that!" She wriggled away before he could continue his attack. And then, she winked.

"There's still one more present..."

"Yeah, but it's waaay back under all those branches… I'm sure not going be able to reach it. Who do we know who's small enough to fit under there…" A sly grin crossed Kai's face. Lloyd's face brightened.

"I-I can _totally_ fit. Here," The boy assured them, diving under the tree. He wrestled a box wrapped precariously in green paper from its depths. _It was finally time_.

"Who is it for?" Zane prompted. Lloyd glanced at the tag.

"To Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, care of Ninjago City's finest ninja," He read, " _Wait_ \- _I'm_ Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon!"

"Yes. Yes, you are!" Nya giggled, "So, are you gonna open it, or are you waiting for us to die from suspense?"

"OH. Yeah. That would probably be good, huh?" Lloyd carefully removed the paper – something told him this gift was special, in spite of its rough appearance. The first thing he noticed was the card sitting at the top.

"Hey! This… This is from my _dad_!"

" _My dear son,_

 _You have know idea how much I wish I could be there to celebrate Christmas with you, but, unfortunately, that cannot be. I wanted you to have something from me, even if I am unable to give it to you in person, so enclosed in this box is my gift to you – I promise, all of it was obtained legally. I also wanted to inform you that, thanks to a visit from a few of Santa's helpers, that I will be postponing my life's goal of reshaping Ninjago in my image until after the new year has arrived. This small break, this time of peace, will allow you to spend time with the family who_ can _be there for you. Use it wisely. I love you more than you can possibly imagine. Merry Christmas,_

 _Your father."_

"Wow! Santa really _did_ come through!" He exclaimed enthusiastically, after stumbling through the letter. The others shared a smile, happy that the boy was getting some small amount of closure for the holiday. He reached into the box and pulled out the first thing he came in contact with; The latest edition of Starfarers? Signed by Cliff Gordon himself?

"Score!"

"Lloyd, you _lucky duck!_ Can I read that when you're finished _?"_ Asked Jay. He was a little envious. Autographs from celebrities did _not_ come cheap.

"We'll see." Lloyd pulled out the remaining item. A photo album?

" _Lloyd's_ _First Christmas?_ Huh." He leafed through the (very beat up) booklet. _He'd never seen his baby pictures before. Slightly embarrassing, but still… And was that his father?_

"I've always wondered what _he_ looked like _before_ …" Nya leaned over to get a better look.

"You were an _adorable_ baby. You're starting to look just like him, now though…" She told him softly, ruffling his hair.

"I-I… Where did he get these…?"

"I don't know, Lloyd. He's probably had them for a long time…" Zane observed. The boy didn't seem to hear him. He continued staring at the pictures for several minutes. It was like he'd unlocked some forgotten piece of history he didn't know he had. Tiny him stared up from the pages, as if all was right with the world. _He clearly didn't know about the questionable life choices his parents would make._ Not that that was a surprise, since he _was_ a _baby,_ after all. _Still, it was nice to know that his childhood hadn't been_ completely _rotten…_ The bright spots showed through, now. And the past few weeks had definitely demonstrated that his life had changed for the better once he'd joined the crew of the Bounty. All the new traditions, listening as they patiently explained things he'd never experienced before, the laughter and tears they had shared? And then, being able to _give_ and actually mean it, for the first time. His days had been full of magic, and in that moment, he knew he had found what _family_ truly felt like. Lloyd was _home._ He had been for quite awhile now.

"Guys," He said shakily, "This Christmas? _Everything?_ It's all been so amazing and I… I'm so grateful for everything you did to make sure I got to see what it was _really_ like… To spend the holidays with _family._ A-and not mopping around some dorm room waiting for the next prank. I-I… Just _thank you. So much!"_ Lloyd threw himself at the nearest person – Nya and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Less then a second later, they were all piling on top of each other in some weird group hug, giggling until tears rolled down their cheeks. The warmth and comradery that it radiated lit up Sensei Wu's face. This was more than he could possibly have hoped for when he'd sought out each of his students – and later, when he'd brought his nephew into his home.

"Aw… _Buddy_ , you know we'd do anything for you…"

"Yeah. Merry Christmas pipsqueek."

"M-merry Christmas, everyone!"

All was as it should be. Unending joy. A moment of peace. And the sound of someone softly singing a carol as Zane left to start breakfast. Christmas had come, and they were all the better for it.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

 **Thank you So much to all of my readers! I hope you enjoyed the final chapter of Operation Christmas Lloyd. Feel free to leave feedback, as always! And kudos to anyone who can figure out why Cole got the gift he did from Jay, because it's a neat piece of trivia in my opinion. The next chapter of Of Milk and Cookies should be up within the next week or so, and after that? I have several ideas, ranging from a season 9 au, to Lloyd trying to hide Nya's double life from her brothers. We'll just have to wait and see! Have a fantabulous new year full of adventures, everyone!**

 **~GwenBrightly**


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